Cigna Medicare Supplement Plans

Cigna has more than 70,000 employees across the world and serves customers in about 30 countries and jurisdictions. Cigna as we know it today formed when two much older companies, INA Corporation and Connecticut General Corporation (CG) merged in 1982.

Although health insurance is Cigna’s primary focus, the company has also branched out into other sectors of the insurance market, including disability insurance. Over the years, Cigna has continued to diversify its offerings and acquire or partner with numerous companies, large and small. CVS and ExpressScripts (a mail-order pharmacy) are two of Cigna’s most prominent collaborators.

Currently Cigna provides most of the available forms of private Medicare health plans, including every standardized plan possible for Medicare Supplements, as well as many Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) plans. Its private Medicare health plans are offered through a variety of subsidiary companies, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, American Retirement Life Insurance Company, and Loyal American Life Insurance Company.

The Basics of Cigna Medicare Supplement Insurance

Cigna’s Medicare Supplement plans (also called Medigap) are useful to many seniors because Medicare alone often fails to protect them from burdensome out-of-pocket healthcare costs. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) leaves patients responsible for deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and an assortment of other fees. The average beneficiary of traditional Medicare spent $6,168 on out-of-pocket healthcare costs in 2018, according to a recent AARP study. Cigna Medicare Supplements can reduce such out-of-pocket costs and make them more predictable.

With a Medicare Supplement plan, seniors pay a monthly premium to Cigna, and Cigna takes responsibility for paying many of Medicare’s out-of-pocket costs as they arise. Exactly which costs are covered depends on which of the standardized plans that you choose.

Medicare Supplement plans are not in any way paid for or operated by Medicare. However, the rules of how Cigna sets prices and pays for care are established by Medicare, ensuring that seniors receive fair treatment regardless of which insurance provider they choose.

You can read all about Medicare Supplement regulations in “What’s Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?” Seniors should especially be aware of the fact that Medicare Supplement plans can be combined with Part D but not with Medicare Advantage.

Overview of Cigna Medicare Supplement Plans

Cigna offers all of the Standardized Medicare Supplement plans that Medicare allows private companies to provide, though availability may vary slightly by state. Three of its plans — C, F, and High Deductible F — are only available to those who were eligible for Medicare prior to the start of 2020. The plans that are available to all seniors (65 and older) as well as to some disabled individuals of all ages are detailed in the table below. In addition to the information listed in the table, all of these plans also provide 365 extra days of hospital coverage compared to what’s normally offered under Original Medicare.

*Excess charges for Part B result from a  doctor billing for more than Medicare has agreed to pay.
**In this plan, patients are still responsible for a few minor Part B copay/coinsurance fees, though most are covered. Copays may be up to $20 for doctor’s visits and up to $50 for ER visits.

If you live in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Massachusetts, your state has its own unique set of standardized plans. Cigna does offer plans in Minnesota. For more information on comparing these unusual plans, you may wish to read this article by Medicare on comparing Medigap policies. Note that the same article also provides more information on plans C and F. If you happen to be one of the seniors who is eligible for those plans, you may want to look into them, as they offer particularly high levels of coverage.

The Cost of Cigna Medicare Supplement Plans

What you pay for a Cigna Medicare Supplement policy will depend on your location, which plan you choose, and how long you have been eligible for Medicare. Costs are always lowest for those who buy a policy within the first six months of their 65th birthday, since during this time period companies are obligated to offer coverage without charging you more based on health or other factors.

After this six month window, regulations on pricing relax significantly, and insurance providers may even decline to cover you. Also, note that in most states your premium costs will rise over time based on your age, regardless of when you signed up or what your starting costs were. This policy of raising prices based on increasing age is known as “attained age” pricing.

Many Cigna Medicare Supplement Insurance plans may cost between $100-$200+ per month. Policies from some other companies can start as low as about $50, so the low end of Cigna’s price range being $100 is rather high. However, some areas in which Cigna offers plans may have much lower costs. Due to the way that Cigna provides quotes, it’s extremely difficult to determine a definitive national range of costs. Speaking with a local Cigna representative is always the best way to learn more about potential costs.

Unique Benefits and Drawbacks of Cigna Medicare Supplement Insurance

Benefits of Cigna Medicare Supplements

• Stable History: Stability is an important consideration for choosing an insurance company since the company’s ability to cover your needs depends on its survival and financial success. Cigna has demonstrated its stability numerous times. Although Cigna proper began in 1982, the company’s history stretches back 225+ years to when the Insurance Company of North America (INA) began. Cigna and its predecessor INA have supported Americans through numerous disasters, wars, and industry shifts. All signs indicate that they will continue to do so.
• All Plans Available: As a highly profitable, global company, Cigna has the resources to offer the full range of available Medicare Supplement plans. Many other companies don’t offer some plans due to profitability concerns or because they want their options to be simple. With Cigna offering all plans, everyone can find an option that suits their budget and typical healthcare usage. This is a great place to find plans that may be less popular or less common than others.

Drawbacks of Cigna Medicare Supplements

• Price Comparison Process: To view any prices on plans in your area, you must submit your zip code, first and last name, gender, birthday, the start dates of your Medicare Part A and B coverage, phone number and email, and a few other pieces of personal information regarding your insurance history. By submitting the questionnaire, you agree to be emailed and/or called by Cigna representatives, which may result in numerous sales calls. Compared to what other companies require, this is quite a bit of personal information to give out just so that you can see a sample price. However, the quotes you receive will be fairly customized and therefore possibly more accurate than the pricing listed online by other companies.
• Website Errors: Perhaps through error or due to outdated pages, Cigna’s website can give you a misleading impression of what the company has to offer. On the Medicare Supplement portion of the website, available charts make it look like Plans A, G, N, F, and High Deductible F are the only plans available. However, when speaking with Cigna agents we learned that all standardized plans are available through Cigna. It may be that the plans listed online are simply the ones that Cigna promotes the most due to their popularity. Regardless, be cautious of making decisions based on the website alone, as information may be incomplete.

Customer Reviews of Cigna Medicare Supplement Plans

Cigna reviews are especially plentiful online, and reading them can help you decide if the company is a good fit for you. The average review score of Cigna’s corporate headquarter profiles across Google, Trustpilot, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) was 2.3/5 stars. Reviews of more local Cigna offices may vary somewhat in score.

Positive Reviews from Cigna Customers

The majority of positive reviews of Cigna are either from employees clearly stating that they like working there or from reviewers who only leave stars, not informative comments. It’s difficult to tell whether reviews without accompanying notes indicate customer satisfaction or employee satisfaction, as both are possible.

Of the positive customer reviews that do provide details, this one on the BBB website stands out: “I can’t say enough good things about Cigna’s customer service. Every time I call about a claim I don’t understand, a representative will take the time to explain everything, sometimes multiple times until I fully understand.” Another notable review on Trustpilot stated that Cigna has “an easy to use app and website that I was able to use often to check claims and EOBs (Explanation of Benefits paperwork).”

Negative Reviews from Cigna Customers

Negative reviews of Cigna cover a wide range of issues, some of which are less relevant to Medicare Supplement customers than others. No reviews that we found specifically mentioned an issue with Medicare Supplement Insurance; most were focused on dental insurance, disability insurance, and employer-provided health insurance. Many reviews also mentioned struggles in dealing with customer service departments. One reviewer on Google voiced his frustration with Cigna bureaucracy by writing, “This organization has become too large to provide good customer service and to provide good oversight and control to their various departments.”

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.