Cigna Medicare Insurance Review

Cigna Medicare Advantage Ratings at a Glance

Medicare insurance is only available through the federal government, but it is not a comprehensive health plan compared to employer-sponsored plans. Cigna fills the gap by offering Medicare Advantage Plans, which include Medicare Parts A and B coverages. Medicare Advantage Plans are sometimes referred to as Medicare Part C plans or MA plans. 

Cigna Medicare Advantage Plans include prescription drug coverage, which is Part D coverage. Insured people can get Part D prescription drug plans if they already have Parts A and B plans covered. 

Cigna also offers Medicare Supplement insurance, which helps its customers pay for out-of-pocket expenses, deductibles, copays and coinsurance. 

Medicare Advantage Plans

Cigna dubs its Medicare Advantage Plans the “All-in-1 Peace of Mind” plans. With this program, customers get all their Medicare benefits in one convenient plan. Moreover, the plan provides extra programs and services at no cost. Some plans also include vision and dental coverage. 

Depending on the health plan selected, there will likely be a low premium or no premium at all. 

For minor health issues, Cigna offers a 24/7 hotline number where its customers can speak with a board-certified physician by phone or via a telehealth appointment. Cigna’s teams also work closely with the insured’s doctors and specialists to manage their treatment plans and achieve better health overall. 

Part D Prescription Drug Plans

Cigna makes it easy for insureds to get the prescription medications they need. The plan highlights a network of over 63,000 pharmacies in the areas it covers so customers can always access their medications close to where they live. 

The health insurance experts at Cigna developed a medication formulary that includes 3,000 of the most common medications Medicare customers use. Cigna customers can expect to get the lowest rates for out-of-pocket prescription drug costs by obtaining them at Cigna’s preferred pharmacies. To find a drug store or pharmacy, they can use the search feature on Cigna’s website and get results fast. 

Medicare Supplement Insurance

Medicare Supplement Insurance, also called Medigap coverage, pays for many of the healthcare costs basic Medicare insurance does not cover. Insured people can use the supplement coverage to pay for any out-of-pocket Medicare insurance costs, including deductibles, coinsurance or copays. Customers have the freedom to choose any doctors or hospitals they like as long as they accept Medicare insurance. Customers may not even need a referral for specialists.  

Cigna guarantees it will renew supplemental insurance policies for life, which alleviates the possibility of it being canceled. With a wide range of supplemental insurance plans to choose from, customers have lots of flexibility to meet their needs and lifestyles. 

Cigna promises its customers round-the-clock availability, and it delivers on this promise. Customer service is available 24 hours every day, 365 days per year. Customers can contact Cigna by phone or send the company an email or live chat any time of day or night and talk to a live doctor. 

Whether customers are using a laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile phone, information is always close at hand. 

The website gives customers access to a provider directory and prescription drug list. They can also set up home delivery for prescription drugs.

Cigna lists several phone numbers on its website in addition to the main customer service number, but not all of them are available 24/7. 

On the downside, Cigna has a lot of negative customer reviews, although that’s fairly normal for large, major health insurance companies. While customer service is available any time, some customers complain about long wait times or dropped calls; others have had no problem reaching a representative in a timely manner. 

Customer complaints include not getting email or phone responses back from the company in a reasonable amount of time after leaing a message. Customers have also expressed frustration over getting pre-authorizations, resolving issues and getting their claims paid without problems. 

One of the best things about Cigna health plans is how affordable they are. Cigna Medicare Advantage plans are free. However, various plans have different copays or deductibles for out-of-network and in-network coverage depending on whether it is a health maintenance organizatoin (HMO), preferred provider organizatoin (PPO) or HMO-point-of-service (POS) health plan. 

It’s important for customers to review the benefits of all plans before selecting one so they know what they will be expected to pay out of their pockets. It is important to understand the rules for enrollment periods as well. 

All Medicare enrollees may choose from Medicare Supplement plans A, G, N or F unless they are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan. 

What separates Cigna Medicare Supplement plans for other insurance providers is it offers a monthly household premium discount for members of the same household. 

The premiums for Cigna dental health plans are also affordable at between $19 and $35 per month with no copay required for preventative care. While dental insurance premiums are affordable, dental insurance coverage for restorative care and orthodontia has limited benefits. 

The application experience with Cigna is excellent. The website makes it clear that applicants must be eligible for Medicare and that they must enroll during the annual enrollment period that runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 annually. 

The information on the website is clear and well laid out. All visitors have to do is input their ZIP code and county into the search box, and the website will display the Medicare Advantage Plans that are available for them along with the approximate costs. 

Each plan is enclosed in a box that lists the deductible, maximum in-network out-of-pocket costs and monthly premium. 

To view the plan details, visitors can click on the call to action button where they can look up providers, prescription drugs and pharmacies that are in network as well as copays, coinsurance fees and other information. 

To apply online, visitors merely have to click on “Select Plan” and follow the prompts to enroll. They also have the option to click on an icon and speak with a licensed insurance agent before purchasing a plan. Cigna also offers a useful mobile app. 

Medical providers file health, dental and vision claims on behalf of the patients. Cigna’s customers can always view the status of their claims by using the myCigna patient portal, which requires login and password credentials for security. 

Customers can also access claims information on the Cigna mobile app or patient portal. 

Once a claim has been approved, Cigna will pay the medical provider or the insured, depending on who should receive the funds. If Cigna pays the medical provider and funds are still owed, the medical provider bills the rest to the customer. 

Cigna typically pays its claims quickly. Customers can expect payment within 10 to 15 days for a paper claim and only three to five days for an electronic claim. Cigna has been known to pay claims as soon as one to two days. 

Cigna vs. Competitors

Cigna’s main competitors are UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health and Aetna. Cigna gets high marks for overall culture and diversity. It also gets a high Net Promoter Score (NPS) ranking. NPS ranks companies according to customers saying they would refer someone else to the company. Cigna gets slightly lower marks for its CEO, product quality, customer service and pricing. 

Medicare evaluates insurance companies that sell Medicare plans for quality annually. Cigna has received a strong 5-star rating from Medicare for many years running. 

UnitedHealthcare is larger than Cigna, making it hard to compare the companies fairly. The Medicare Part D plans are comparable, but UnitedHealthcare shines brighter with Medigap. UnitedHealthcare also operates in more states than Cigna. 

Like UnitedHealthcare, Aetna operates in more states than Cigna. The companies’ application processes, claims experiences and plan options are similar. CVS uses Aetna for its Medicare plans, so they compare favorably with Cigna and CVS Health. 

[We add the chart of comp.]

Cigna is one of the major health insurance companies in the country, and it is considered a major player in the Medicare space. The company is happy to inform its customers about how Medicare insurance works. 

Overall, most customers are happy with Cigna in terms of the application process and claims experience. The customer service department is a bit of a hit or miss at times, with some customers reporting a good experience and others complaining. 

As for pricing, Cigna is hard to beat. Benzinga gives Cigna a solid 3.5 stars out of 5 stars. Overall, it is safe to say that Cigna is one of the top Medicare insurance providers in the country.  

Frequently Asked Questions