Cigna to Cover Costs of Coronavirus Tests for Customers, Earning Presidential Plaudits

“If you are a Cigna customer, we will waive all co-pays and cost-shares for Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing as recommended by your health care provider.”  That notice on the home page of Connecticut-based insurer Cigna, is gaining notice across the country, including at the White House.

Cigna’s decision to waive customer cost-sharing and co-payments for COVID-19 treatment is described as “expanded coverage (that) further protects Cigna customers and underscores the company's commitment to delivering access to simple, affordable and predictable health care,” the company points out.

"Our customers with COVID-19 should focus on fighting this virus and preventing its spread," said David M. Cordani, president and chief executive officer, Cigna. "While our customers focus on regaining their health, we have their backs. Our teams of experts are working around the clock to support front line heath care workers, increase flexibility for hospitals, and deliver greater peace of mind to those we serve."

During a White House news briefing late Sunday, President Donald Trump said, "Two of the country's largest health insurers, Humana and Cigna, are announcing that they will waive co-pays, which is a big deal. For anybody who understands insurance, they don't waive co-pays easily.”

Effective today, Cigna is waiving customer cost-sharing for all COVID-19 treatment through May 31, 2020. The treatments that Cigna will cover for COVID-19 are those covered under Medicare or other applicable state regulations. The company will reimburse health care providers at Cigna's in-network rates or Medicare rates, as applicable, according to officials.

The newly instituted policy applies to customers in the United States who are covered under Cigna's employer/union sponsored insured group health plans, insured plans for US based globally mobile individuals, Medicare Advantage and Individual and Family Plans (IFP). Cigna will also administer the waiver to self-insured group health plans and the company encourages widespread participation, although these plans will have an opportunity to opt-out of the waiver option.

“We’re stepping in as aggressively as we can to support care access and peace of mind,” Cordani told Bloomberg News in an interview. In a new video posted on the Cigna website, Corani said “It is at our most challenging times that our 70,000 employees are even more intensely driven to meet the unique needs of those we serve.”

To provide additional support for the medical community, Bloomfield-headquartered Cigna plans to deploy hundreds of on-staff clinicians, including physicians and nurse practitioners, to join the team of health care professionals at MDLIVE, a leading telehealth company and Cigna network partner. Medical professionals from Cigna and its subsidiaries will be assigned to help increase capacity by delivering much-needed care to patients, the company noted.

In addition, Cigna clinicians are providing clinical care in communities across the country as physicians, pharmacists, and home infusion nurses. Cigna behavioral health experts are also staffing a free COVID-19 support line (1.866.912.1687) available 24/7 to the general public to help assist people in managing feelings of stress, fear, and anxiety while building resiliency.

Cigna is also partnering with Buoy Health, an artificial-intelligence powered navigation platform to provide a free, web-based interactive triage tool that assesses COVID-19 risk. Through this early-intervention tool, US domestic customers can quickly receive information regarding the severity of their symptoms and recommendations on next steps for care. The symptom checker will be available this week on www.Cigna.com, www.MyCigna.com and related myCigna mobile applications.

On March 23, Cigna announced it would waive prior authorizations for the transfer of its non-COVID-19 customers from acute inpatient hospitals to in-network LTACHs. In place of prior authorizations, Cigna announced it would require notification from the LTACH on the next business day following the transfer. That policy is set to remain in place through May 31, 2020 and applies to Cigna commercial and Medicare Advantage plans. Cigna has also waived prior authorizations for the transfer of its patients to other in-network subacute facilities, including skilled nursing facilities and acute rehab centers.

Other actions taken by the insurer include offering free standard shipping of up to 90-day supplies for prescription maintenance medications and 24/7 access to pharmacists; providing Cigna employees with 80 hours of emergency time off for COVID-19 related needs through 2020 and providing additional compensation and additional assistance to reward Cigna employees who must continue to work onsite, including Cigna's front-line health care professionals.

Cigna relocated its headquarters from Philadelphia to existing offices in Bloomfield nearly a decade ago, earning financial support from the State of Connecticut at that time.  The company’s Connecticut roots go back prior to the merger of Connecticut General and INA (Insurance Company of North America) in the 1980’s.