Cigna National Health Insurance Company – CNHIC

Cigna National Health Insurance Medical Coverage

A Brief Insight

Along with Medicare health insurance options, Cigna offers stand-alone dental and vision plans. The availability of Medicare plans varies by state:

• In 13 states, individual plans are available.
• Medicare Advantage Plans is available in Washington D.C. and 26 other states.
• Medicare Supplement plans are well available in every state, including Washington D.C., except Massachusetts and New York.

Cigna offers dental insurance policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. They also offer some hearing and visual plans in coalition with dental insurance plans. Needless to say, their most popular plans are their Medicare Supplement plans and Medicare Advantage plans.

Cigna National Health Insurance Company (CNHIC)

This new subsidiary from Cigna will provide supplement products with:

• Newer, Competitive Rates and more Rate Classes
• Up to 20% Total Household Discount
• Hearing Discounts Receive an average of 62% off retail on name-brand hearing aids and 40% off diagnostic services and testing at more than 5,6002 locations
• Health and Wellness Discounts
• Freedom to Choose your Doctors
• Guaranteed Renewable Policy for Life
• Vision Discounts Save on Routine Vision Services such as exams and eyeglasses at more than 25,0002 locations nationwide.
• Enjoy Savings on Popular Weight Management, Nutrition Programs, and Alternative Medicine Services such as Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, and Occupational Therapy. The Active&Fit Direct® Program Access to over 10,000 Fitness Centers Nationwide for $25 per month.
• A Health Advocate is ready to help answer your health questions and guide you to find the proper care. Call and get the help you need 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Who is Cigna?

Based in Bloomfield, Connecticut, Cigna was formed from the merger between the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company and the INA Corporation in 1982.

The backstory.

Cigna is one of the few insurance firms that can trace its history back to the time when Kings ruled the majority of the world. A group of Philadelphians established the insurance company in 1792. They established the North America Insurance Company (INA), the nation’s first provider of marine insurance.

The Connecticut General Life Insurance Company was established by a special law that the state’s governor approved in 1865. (CG). The business started to enter the health insurance industry in 1919.

Finally, in 1982, Connecticut General Corporation and INA Corporation merged under the well-known name of today, Cigna. Cigna Life Insurance, a mix of the two companies’ names, offers medical, disability, life, and accident insurance in Medicare and Medicaid. Cigna primarily provides its services to employers as an employee healthcare plan.

Now Cigna is number 13 in the Fortune 500 list based on revenue, serving customers in the U.S. and specific international markets for a total of 30 different countries. In this article, we will elaborate on the value addition and competitive advantage of Cignas’ new subsidiary in the Medicare Supplement landscape.

CNHIC Medicare Supplement policy

Suppose basic Medicare is your primary insurance (Part A and Part B). In that case, you have certain gaps in coverage that can be covered by Medicare supplement insurance or commonly known as Medigap. There is no out-of-pocket-max protecting you with Original Medicare, which makes the supplement an important addition to your Medicare.

However, Medicare supplement plans do not cover prescription drugs, so you might also want to purchase a low-cost Part D prescription drug plan. Not buying one when eligible may result in a penalty down the road.

This article will get into the details of different aspects of Medicare Supplement Plans. For various other Medicare policies, you can check other updated articles on our website.

Medicare Advantage is distinct from Medicare Supplement Insurance. It is not possible to have both a Medicare Advantage Plan and a Medicare Supplement Plan simultaneously. Needless to say, you have to be vigilant in your analysis of the respective health plans. Check out our easy-to-understand analysis of Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: https://medicarenationwide.com/medicare-advantage-vs-medigap/

When can Supplemental Insurance be purchased?

• You can get a Medicare supplement plan as secondary insurance to your primary Medicare insurance. If you receive healthcare coverage through work or a union plan, then that would be your primary insurance. In such cases, your basic Medicare becomes your secondary insurance, and supplements wouldn’t be offered.

• Also, Medicare Advantage plans are considered primary insurance. Thus you cannot have a Medicare supplement to support one. You can either have Medicare as a primary with a Medicare supplement or a Medicare Advantage plan.

• Medicare doesn’t cover certain expenses like prescription drugs, vision, dental, or hearing care. You can consult with your agent and either look for stand-alone plans or consider a Medicare Advantage plan with some of this coverage. Medicare is your primary insurance, which means that after it approves the claims the secondary insurance will also cover. It also means that if Medicare does not cover the claim, neither will your secondary insurance. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan then you are replacing Medicare as your primary insurance and you have no secondary insurance. For more information on the differences between the Medicare supplement vs Medicare Advantage plan visit here: Differences between Medicare Supplement vs Medicare AdvantageIn order to keep Medicare as your primary and have your secondary approve the remaining amount of your health insurance claims, yet still find a plan that covers dental, vision, and hearing, visit Cigna’s quote and self-enrollment tool here: Cigna Dental, Vision, and Hearing Self Enrollment Tool

• The best time to purchase a Medicare Supplement Policy is during an Open Enrollment or Guaranteed Issue period or if you have a Special Enrollment period. Here’s our Medicare Enrollment Eligibility chart for a clearer picture:

What services are covered under Cigna’s Medicare supplemental plans?

The covered services will vary depending on the plan you select, but all supplement plans will pay for some of the Medicare-approved claims you would normally have to pay out of pocket.

Most fundamental coverage in any Medicare Supplement policy consists of the following:

• Part A Coinsurance
• Part B Coinsurance
• The first three pints of blood and the coinsurance and copayment** for hospice care under Part B

Coinsurance implies the percentage of healthcare expenses you share with your medicare insurance plan. E.g., You pay 20%, and your Part B Medicare pays 80%.

Copayments are fixed payments you make to your medical service provider when you receive their services. E.g., you pay $20 for an office visit.

In addition to these expenses, certain supplement plans assist in paying for your Part A deductible and unexpected medical expenses while you are abroad. This foreign travel coverage is a lifetime reserve of $50,000. The Supplement plans that include this feature would pay for 80% of expenses. Now, remember that you must return back to the U.S. every couple of months to keep your coverage active.

Deductible – a deductible is an amount you have to pay for health care before any of your Medicare/ Advantage/ Prescription/ other insurance plans begin their coverage.

Now there are lettered “Parts” to Medicare, and then there are “Plans” in Medicare. Please take time to understand the basic difference between the two. Plans are distinct from Parts. Parts A, B, C, and D are Medicare parts. These Medicare parts offer different types of coverage.

• Medicare Part A: Hospital Coverage
• Medicare Part B: Medical Coverage
• Medicare Part C: Medicare Advantage
• Medicare Part D: Prescription Drug Coverage

You can choose the appropriate plan for your Parts once you enroll in the Parts that are right for you.  You can read more about Medicare Enrollment and Eligibility here.

No matter which provider you choose, the federal government standardized the outline for Medicare Supplement coverage. So a Plan G is Plan G with every provider and in every state (except for Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, where Medigap plans go by different names).

Plan A, Plan F, Plan F (high deductible), Plan G, Plan G (high deductible), and Plan N are all available from Cigna.

Cigna’s Commitment is to provide you with healthcare solutions that are adaptable to your constantly changing medical needs, such as: 

• Stand-alone plans for Hospitalization, stroke, heart attack, and cancer coverage (these are separate plans, different from your standardized Medicare Supplement Policies.)

What are the Benefits of Medicare Supplement by Cigna National Health Insurance Company?

Not only are the plans affordable, but Cigna has the unique benefit of rewarding its customers. This program is called Healthy Rewards and offers fantastic benefits to its customers for a variety of services.

With Healthy Rewards, recipients can receive up to 25% off a registered dietician, Gaiam health and wellness program, and other discounts for Gaiam products, up to $800 off LASIK vision correction, and various discounts on alternative medicines. Third-party discounts offered are state-specific and not considered insurance.

What States does Cigna have the most attractive rates and coverage?

• Ohio, Alabama, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Texas, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Delaware, Wyoming, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina

Learn more about the Cigna Supplement Insurance Plans by connecting directly with one of our trusted agents. We highly recommend Cigna in the above states. Cigna has some of the most competitive rates in the country for Plan G and Plan N. They still offer a competitive Plan F for those grandfathered in.

Cigna Medicare Advantage Plans

All of your Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) coverage, including coverage for all Medicare-approved claims, is provided by one of the most renowned Medicare plans by Cigna Healthcare- Medicare Advantage plans (Part C). Prescription medicine coverage and extra services not provided by Original Medicare are also features of many plans. You must already have Original Medicare Parts A and B in order to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Is Medicare Advantage Plan a good decision?

Navigating Medicare can be confusing. Here is one example that many people get confused by. Medicare Advantage plans are not Medicare Supplement plans. For starters, with original Medicare as your primary insurance, the supplement is your secondary insurance.  If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Advantage plan becomes your primary insurance, and you give up Medicare as your primary insurance. You can’t enroll in a Medicare supplement plan with a Medicare Advantage plan because a supplement is secondary to Medicare, not a Medicare Advantage plan.

What does that mean? Let’s understand how this works.

The Medicare advantage has an outline of coverage that differs from what Medicare and a Medicare supplement will cover for Part A and Part B. For example, a Medicare Advantage plan could have a $0 premium, where you are restricted to a network of doctors, and an ambulance ride costs $300.00. If Medicare is your primary, they will cover 80% of your hospital ride, and your supplement would cover 20%, and you would not owe anything for that ambulance ride, but in order to have better coverage, you have to pay a monthly premium that is not $0. Hence, the Medicare supplement is generally more comprehensive and provides more insurance. The more insurance you purchase, the more insurance protection you receive, aka you get what you pay for.

Medicare Advantage plans still cover Medicare-approved expenses, but their out-of-pocket coverage differs from Part A, Part B, and a Medigap plan.

As compared to Original Medicare (Parts A (hospital) and B (medical)), Cigna National Health Part C plans offer an option for extra coverage such as prescription drugs and access to certain wellness programs and health care discounts.

Medicare Advantage plans might seem like an alternative to receiving personalized medical care at a cheaper cost. However, you must carefully evaluate the plan restrictions against the economic benefit before enrollment.  Here are the benefits of enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan:

• Including all of your coverage in one handy plan. Caution: Coverage is restricted to a network, unlike Medicare supplement.
• Coverage for prescription medications (if it is a component of the plan.)
• Medicare Advantage covers all Medicare-approved services. It also offers some additional coverage that your standard Medicare does not.
• Additional benefits include dental, vision, and hearing care, wellness initiatives, and price breaks on medical supplies.
• If you are eligible, assistance with premium payment (subsidies). That’s also called Medicaid, government assistance. In fact, you are not eligible for a Medicare supplement plan if you are receiving government assistance.

Cigna Medicare Part D

Even though Medicare Part D prescription drug plans were originally a government-led initiative, authorized insurers like Cigna sell and manage these plans. Let’s dig deeper to understand Medicare Part D.

Part D covers prescription drugs, subsequently reducing your drug costs. If you are eligible to join but do not have other creditable drug coverage, you will be penalized when you seek enrollment in the future. It is not mandatory that you buy drugs through your Part D plan; if you discover the medication is more affordable elsewhere, you may purchase it.

Even after signing up for a Part D plan, many people still intend to purchase most of their medications elsewhere. For example, pharmacies like Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens occasionally provide retail pricing discounts that are more pocket friendly than Medicare Part D.

There are two ways to obtain Part D Prescription Drug coverage if you are eligible for Original Medicare Part A and are enrolled in Medicare Part B.

• Sign up for a stand-alone or separate Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan (when you turn 65 or during Open Enrollment). These programs include the benefits of Medical drug coverage (Plan D) to Original Medicare, some Medicare Cost Plans, a few of the Medicare Advantage Private Fee-for-Service programs, and Medicare Advantage Medical Savings Account Plans.
• Sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) with drug coverage. Not all Medicare Advantage plans cover prescription medications, but most do.

Note: If you are covered by a union or your employer, contact your benefits administrator before making any adjustments or signing up for any additional coverage. If you enroll in another plan, you risk losing your employer’s or union’s health and drug coverage for you and your dependents. You might not be able to regain your employer’s or union’s coverage if this occurs.

The following benefits of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans:

• Part D plans give various levels of cost coverage for various “tiers” of pharmaceuticals, assisting in lowering prescription medication costs.
• These policies are typically affordable with low premiums. However, your premiums may rise if you need increased coverage of brand drugs.
• Part D covers most of the vaccines (except those already covered with Part B).
• It can be added to Original Medicare Parts A and B or can be included in the Medicare Advantage plan (Part C).

New Subsidiary – CHNIC

This means that insurance company Cigna was able to lower its price by forming what can be considered a new pool of risk of insured Medicare recipients. Those that age into Medicare or pass underwriting criteria are allowed into the plan, which screens out adverse risks, passing the savings on to you. You can switch Medicare supplement plans at any time. If you have had a recent rate increase, it could be because you are in an old subsidiary pool that other members are departing, causing your rate to go up. You don’t have to wait until the end of the year to switch. You can switch now and save a considerable of money each month.

Allow us to assist you!

In conclusion, exploring your Medicare choices is challenging and not the most fun responsibility. A lot of folks are overpaying for coverage, afraid of making a change, and not knowing who to trust. We provide free quotes and consultations on what you should do. We have a detailed guide covering the most minute details of different Medicare plans by American life insurance firms, and Cigna Nation Health Insurance is among our favorites.

Our agents are unbiased and have many plans to choose from. You can read our reviews and feel comfortable enlisting our support to find a plan that is right for you.

Prefer to chat by phone? Give us a call at 1-888-559-0103.