Might be switching to Cigna

[WitchySar 244]

There's a chance we'll be getting Cigna insurance in the next couple months. Does anyone know much about them? Are they like BCBS where there are a million and one different plans, or are they pretty uniform all around? We can't get more info about the insurance until my husband is hired on permanently so now I'm worried it won't cover WLS, or will have some ridiculous rule like a 2 year supervised diet, or something.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

They -- like most insurance companies -- have many different plans. Whether they cover weight loss surgery depends on the options your husband's employer selects -- they have to affirmatively choose a rider to cover weight loss surgery. This is true for just about all insurance companies and plans though, at least employer-based.

At least as of a couple years ago, the basic, standard Cigna policy on weight loss surgery was a 3 month supervised diet prior to surgery, but there are all sorts of variations. I had Cigna but had to do a six month supervised weight loss plan because my employer had a separate insurance plan administrator and that was the requirement they tacked on. It's pretty impossible to know what you will get until you see all the plan documents. Good luck!

[Daisee68 2,493]

I too had Cigna at the time of surgery. When I called and asked if my plan covered it (luckily it did), the rep told me their plans were about 50/50 as to covering or not covering. I also had a month supervised diet.

[theantichick 2,204]

I have Cigna, and I was amazed that they didn't give my any problems with the approval, it went straight through even without the release from my primary doc which I hadn't gotten yet.

Now, every plan is different, and I'm incredibly lucky to have an employer that insists on quality insurance plans for our team members, so it could be more due to that than Cigna itself.

I hate all insurance companies based on my experiences with them as a nurse and as a patient. I'm currently fighting with Cigna over reimbursement for my therapy visits - they said I need to submit the name of the provider, licensing information, etc. when everything they needed was on the superbill I sent and my provider is in-network. ::eye roll:: So while I appreciate them moving fast on my surgery, they don't get a pass from me.

Oh, and I had a 3 month supervised diet requirement, but there wasn't a weight loss requirement attached.

[WitchySar 244]

Thanks for all the answers. I figured it was like other insurances with different plan options but hey, figured I'd ask anyway. The company my husband works for (and is hoping to get a permanent position with) is awesome and treats their employees great. Better than any company I've seen before. So hopefully that will translate into a good health insurance policy too that covers WLS.