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Cigna is the seventh-largest provider of health care plans for seniors in the US. Cigna offers Medicare Advantage plans in just over half of US states and stand-alone Medicare drug plans across the country.

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As a Medicare Advantage provider, Cigna offers the benefit of affordable health care to its members. Cigna strives to provide a variety of affordable plans to meet each customer’s needs and budget, and they currently offer a $0.00 premium Medicare Advantage plan in every market they offer Medicare Advantage.

Here’s the information you need about Cigna Medicare Advantage Plans in 2022.

How Good is Cigna Medicare Advantage?

On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) ranks Cigna Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) 4.2 out of 5 stars for 2022.

This rating demonstrates that Cigna offers a highly-rated quality of care along with outstanding customer service.

Cigna earned a 4.0 rating for its prescription drug plan. Although the overall rating for all of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage products, the company’s HealthSpring of Florida is rated 5 stars in 2022.

Here is an item-by-item breakdown of Cigna’s Medicare Advantage positive performance by CMS:

  • Cigna’s Medicare Advantage call center – interpreter for foreign language speaking people and TTY for the hearing impaired
  • Accurate pricing on Cigna’s Medicare Plan Finder
  • Care for senior adults – medication review
  • Care for senior adults – pain assessment
  • Policyholders receive appeal decisions promptly
  • Osteoporosis management
  • Post-discharge meds reconciliation
  • Cigna’s Prescription Drug Plan call center – interpreter for foreign language speaking people and TTY for the hearing impaired
  • Number of prescription drug plan complaints
  • Number of Medicare Advantage plan complaints
  • Colorectal screening for cancer
  • Diabetes management – controlled blood sugar
  • Diabetes care with an eye exam

As for financial stability ratings from A.M. Best, a third-party national rating service, Cigna Corporation received an A (Excellent) rating which demonstrates that the company has an excellent ability to satisfy its insurance obligations.

How good is Cigna Medicare Customer Service?

Although premiums and benefits are a major part of the Medicare Advantage shopping process, what happens after the sale should be just as important.

Regretfully, Cigna has some customer service ratings they will need to overcome:

Certainly, any single rating may or may not be accurate enough to impact a buying decision so we are listing the average rating for Cigna (without the BBB). 

Cigna’s customer service rating average over the 5 rating services listed is 2.5 stars.

Medicare Advantage Plans Offered by Cigna

Like its competitors, Cigna offers several Medicare Advantage plans across the country. The primary difference in each plan is whether there is a network the member must adhere to and whether the plan includes prescription drug coverage.

Cigna HMO Plans

Health Maintenance Organizations are a type of health plan. To have your services covered, you’ll need to go to a doctor that is a member of the plan’s network. However, if you have an emergency, the plan will cover your healthcare services even if you go out of network.

If you purchase a Medicare Advantage HMO plan, you need to have a primary care physician. Your PCP needs to be a network provider and will refer you to specialists for any other services you might need.

Cigna offers a few Point-of-Service options, including HMO-POS. The HMO-POS offers more flexibility than a traditional HMO plan. If you use one of these plans, you’ll still be able to receive certain services outside the network. However, this comes at a higher price.

Cigna PPO Plans

A PPO plan is like an HMO plan in that it has a network of healthcare professionals. Unlike an HMO, you’ll still be covered if you see doctors or specialists outside the plan’s network. The plan may still cover some of the cost, but you will pay more out-of-pocket such as higher coinsurance or copay.

Cigna PFFS Plans

Private Fee-For-Service plans are a flexible alternative to Healthcare Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs). Unlike HMOs, PFFS plans don’t have a network. You can see any medical provider, regardless of location, by using a PFFS plan. This is different than PPOs which require a PCP and referrals for services.

Cigna Special Needs Plan

Cigna can tailor a special needs plan to your specific needs. An SNP is designed for applicants with specific needs and circumstances. These needs could be medical or financial. Examples of times an SNP might be a good choice include:

  • You have a limited income and qualify for Medicaid. You’ll pay much lower costs if you qualify for a Medicare and Medicaid combined SNP.
  • You have a health condition that needs consistent management, such as diabetes. Your SNP can help you manage your condition and cover some of your healthcare costs.
  • You live in a nursing facility. You can find SNPs to help manage the costs of living in a long-term care facility.

Cigna Medicare Advantage Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Policyholder Satisfaction: Cigna HealthSpring, a Cigna subsidiary, was number three out of nine in J.D. Power’s Medicare Advantage study for member satisfaction.
  • Lower Premium Options: Almost 80% of Cigna Medicare Advantage plans are zero-premium plans.
  • Widely available prescription drug plans: Cigna offers three stand-alone prescription drug plans that are available in all states, D.C., and Puerto Rico.
  • Additional Benefits: Cigna provides important additional benefits such as telehealth services, medical transportation, and dental, hearing, and vision benefits.

Cons:

  • Limited Plans: Even though Cigna offers other plans, the majority of plans offered are HMO plans.
  • Availability: Currently, Cigna only offers plans in a little more than half of the United States and D.C.
  • Third-Party Ratings: Out of 5 third-party rating services, Cigna scored a 2.5 out of 5 stars for customer service ratings.

What Additional Benefits Does Cigna Offer?

Similar to its competitors, Cigna offers an additional 7 services (benefits) over and above its Medicare Advantage core benefits:

  1. Medication Therapy Management
  2. Chronic Illness Case Management Program
  3. Home delivered meals after an inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility stay
  4. 24/7 Telehealth services for minor medical issues
  5. Non-emergency medical transportation
  6. Fitness center membership
  7. OTC (over-the-counter) allowance for medications, vitamins, and supplements

How to Find a Medicare Advantage Plan the Right for You

Many of the insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans would love for you to call them directly so they can keep rather than pass on the commission they would normally pay a well-trained and well-respected insurance professional.

Don’t do that. Number one, to take advantage of the competition that will benefit you, you would need to call multiple companies and deal with a “representative” rather than an experienced and reputable agent.

Instead, if you are considering a Medicare Advantage Plan to take advantage of low premiums and additional benefits, call an independent health insurance professional who represents many of the highly-rated insurance companies, but is not employed by any of them.

With the click of a button on your cell phone, tablet, or laptop you can connect with a professional at HealthPlans2Go and get answers to all of your Medicare Advantage questions and a free and confidential quote comparison from all of the insurance companies they represent.

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