Cigna Medicare Plans

Formerly known as Cigna-HealthSpring Medicare

Cigna Corporation is a global health service company, offering individual and group health insurance plans, Medicare plans, and more.

They have more than 170 million customer and patient relationships in more than 30 countries, and they employ more than 74,000 people. They are a giant in the healthcare business.

Cigna Medicare is a division of Cigna Corporation and is a health services company committed to helping Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries live healthier, more active lives through personalized, affordable, and easy-to-use health care solutions.

In October of 2011, Cigna purchased HealthSpring Inc. to boost Cigna’s Medicare Advantage presence nationally. This transaction included changing the name from Cigna Medicare to Cigna-HealthSpring Medicare.

In 2019, Cigna decided to drop HealthSpring from its name, and will now be known simply as Cigna. With all that said, my purpose in writing this blog is to educate you somewhat on who Cigna is and their model of care for their Medicare Advantage plans. In addition to Medicare Advantage, they also offer Medicare Supplement policies and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans.

CIGNA MEDICAL GROUPS

One of the best aspects of Cigna is their personalized care one can receive at a Cigna Medical Group (CMG) clinic.

There are 20 medical centers located across Maricopa County where the doctors coordinate care as one whole team.

CMG’s don’t just react to your care needs, but they prevent problems and help you stay healthy. Here are a few examples of how they do that:

On-site education and resources to help control chronic conditions
Reminders of your preventative care appointments
Reviewing and helping resolve medication problems
Helping you navigate the health care system by coordinating care between your doctors and Cigna

Coordinated care at Cigna is about knowing you, your needs, your goals, your lifestyle and more. CMG’s put that all together to create a health care system that’s coordinated around you.

Every time you get care with Cigna Medical Group, it goes into your electronic health record. Your primary care doctor works with your care team to keep track of your health over time and reach out if it seems like you need help – like if you haven’t filled a prescription in a while, or if a symptom continues to bother you.

If you’re a Cigna customer, CMG’s even understand your Cigna Medicare plan – and everything it offers – so they can help you get started with programs you might not know about.

Cigna Medical Groups offer convenience – you can visit your doctor, pharmacy, hearing and vision providers plus perform x-rays and lab work all in one location, often on the same day.

On top of that, CMG employs 38 out of the 51 primary care physicians in Arizona who are recognized by The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for excellence in Diabetes Care Management.

The standards for this recognition emphasize the use of systematic, patient-centered, coordinated care that supports access, communication and patient involvement. NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality.More information at www.ncqa.org

In addition to the Cigna Medical Groups, Cigna’s Medicare Advantage plan network includes more than 460 independent primary care providers and more than 5,000 specialists.

You can take comfort in a plan that offers an entire network dedicated to you. You will receive personalized care that focuses on preventative health care, and you will be connected to the right programs and specialists to make sure you get the right care at the right time.

We’re here to help! Call us today.

480-331-7974

CIGNA’S MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS

Cigna’s Medicare Advantage plans go beyond the benefits of Original Medicare to provide you with extra benefit options.

It is important to compare the plan types and understand which fits your needs best. Our local Medicare brokers can provide more information on the specific plans in your area.

Cigna Medicare offers two plan types in Arizona:

1 Health Maintenance Organization (HMO): An HMO contracts with Medicare providing you with access to a network of doctors and hospitals that coordinate your care, with an emphasis on prevention. With an HMO, your care may not be covered if you go outside the HMO network without obtaining prior approval. Emergency care (nationwide) is always covered by an HMO, even outside the network.

2 Chronic Special Needs Plan (C-SNP): A C-SNP plan is a Medicare Advantage plan with coverage designed especially for Medicare beneficiaries with certain chronic conditions (such as diabetes) or have some other specific need.

In Arizona, Cigna’s C-SNP plan is a diabetic specific condition plan. What that means is that you have to be diagnosed with diabetes in order to qualify for the plan.

And if this is your first time enrolling in this type of C-SNP plan, you don’t have to wait until Annual Enrollment – you have a one-time Special Enrollment period and can enroll at any time.

Cigna Medicare Advantage plans give you additional plan benefits not offered by Original Medicare and allow you to focus on your health. Please talk to a licensed Medicare broker to see the plan’s Summary of Benefits for more information. Some benefits may vary by plan:

Dental	A better smile, a healthier you. Depending on your plan, you may receive basic preventative services such as oral exams and cleanings; additional comprehensive coverage, such as fillings and dentures; or an allowance toward your dental care.
Vision	Vision services include routine well eye exams, diabetic retinal and glaucoma exams for customers who are at risk, as well as an allowance toward the cost of frames or contact lenses.
Hearing	Hearing benefit includes a hearing test, an allowance toward purchase of hearing aids, 4 years of batteries included, fitting and follow-up visits.
Health Information Line	Talk one-on-one with a Nurse Advocate to get timely answers to your health-related questions at no additional cost, anytime day or night.
Fitness Program	Get healthier with Cigna’s fitness benefit provided through the Silver&Fit™ Exercise and Health Aging fitness program. The program offers a fitness center membership or home fitness program in addition to enhanced technology options for senior lifestyle coaching.
Over the Counter (OTC) Allowance	The OTC benefit provides you with a quarterly allowance to order your OTC medications and products up to 12 times per calendar year for shipment directly to your home.
Transportation	Non-emergent transportation based on specific customer needs for trips to and from approved locations. Mileage restrictions apply.
Post-Hospital Meal Benefit	This benefit helps make your transition back home more comfortable. Meals may be delivered to your home after a qualified inpatient hospital stay, certain limitations apply.

CONCLUSION

Cigna Medicare used to be known as Cigna-HealthSpring Medicare.

They offer Medicare Supplement, Part D Prescription Drug plans, as well as Medicare Advantage plans (including a Chronic-Special Needs Plan for diabetes).

We encourage you to reach out to our licensed Medicare brokers to learn more.

We’re here to help! Call us today.

480-331-7974

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