Using your Cigna benefits
Does Cigna Pay for Drug Detox and Treatment?
Cigna is required to provide coverage for addiction services — but you need to understand your benefits and choose your provider carefully to avoid a large bill at the end of treatment.
About this coverage
Cigna
Under the Affordable Care Act, mental health services are essential benefits, so plans sold in the marketplace must include addiction treatment as a covered benefit — and since most insurers model their private plans on marketplace plans, almost all Cigna coverage includes addiction care in some form.
Having coverage does not mean the whole bill is covered. Choose the wrong venue or the wrong provider and you could be responsible for far more of the cost. Cigna offers several plan types, and the rules for accessing addiction care are different in each — which is why verifying benefits before enrolling anywhere is the step that matters most.
Detox at Ambrosia is provided through Midwest Detox at Ambrosia in West Palm Beach. Before you enroll, our representatives contact Cigna to verify your benefits and confirm authorization paperwork, then give you a written picture of what your insurance should pay.
Cigna plan types and their rules
Cigna offers at least three types of plans to consumers, and each treats addiction care differently. You need to know which one you have — and who is in your network — before enrolling in a program.
HMO — health maintenance organization
A designated primary care provider coordinates your care, and treatment must happen within a network chosen by Cigna. Going outside that network makes your bill bigger.
PPO — preferred provider organization
A large network of doctors and providers with no PCP referral required. You can step outside the network, but you will pay more if you do.
EPO — exclusive provider organization
Strict network limits. No referral is needed, but choosing a provider without a Cigna contract means no coverage at all.
Check before you enroll
No one wants a surprise in the mail. Understand your coverage type, your benefits, and your exemptions before choosing a treatment provider. Three ways to do that:
Go online
Cigna offers a member portal where you can review your coverage for a specific type of illness and check whether a treatment provider is part of Cigna's network.
Call Cigna
If the online information is unclear, call and ask directly. Representatives can walk through your coverage for addiction care plan detail by plan detail.
Ask your provider
Before you enroll, our representatives call Cigna to verify your benefits and confirm authorization paperwork, then give you a written summary of what insurance should pay and what your final bill would be. If anything in that paperwork is unclear, ask — answering insurance questions is part of the job.
The homework is worth doing
Using your benefits takes a little time and homework, and it can save you thousands of dollars. If you do not feel up to the research, ask a family member to handle some of it — but stay involved in the conversation. It is your health and your financial future on the line.
Our admissions team does this verification work every day. Call (888) 492-1633 and we will confirm your Cigna benefits with you before any commitment is made.
Ready to talk with admissions?
Admissions is available 24/7 to answer questions about mental health and substance use treatment options.