Does Cigna Insurance Cover Mental Health Treatment?

If you’re struggling with mental health issues, figuring out how to pay for treatment can seem overwhelming, Fortunately, Cigna health insurance typically pays for mental health treatment, which makes it easier for people to seek help.

Cigna Insurance and Mental Health Treatment

Cigna is a large health insurance company that offers a variety of employer-provided and personal health insurance plans. If you’re covered by them and wondering, “Does Cigna pay for mental health treatment?” you’re in luck, because the answer is generally, “Yes.” While the benefits and coverage may vary slightly depending on the details of your specific plan, most Cigna insurance plans cover behavioral health treatments.

What Kind of Behavioral Health Treatment Does Cigna Cover?

Most Cigna plans will pay for any required mental health treatments, including individual and group therapy, intensive outpatient care, inpatient care and emergency hospitalizations. Some treatments, such as inpatient care, may only be covered if they’re deemed medically necessary, so it’s always a good idea to read the details of your plan. If you’re not sure if a treatment will be covered, you can always call the number on your Cigna insurance card to ask an expert. Most employer-provided plans also offer an employee assistance program, or EAP, where you can find out details of your employee benefit plan and be referred to a provider.

Cigna health insurance covers emergency mental health treatment, so if you are in a crisis, don’t hesitate to call 911 or go directly to the emergency room. Even if you are not hospitalized, Cigna insurance covers the costs of evaluation and stabilization.

Finding a Provider

Not all mental health providers are covered by Cigna insurance, so it’s important to make sure you find an in-network provider who takes your type of insurance. You can do this by contacting Cigna directly, since they maintain a list of covered providers. If you already have a clinic or individual in mind, you can also contact them directly and ask them if they take Cigna insurance.

It can be difficult to determine what kind of provider you need, but luckily Cigna health insurance covers most types of mental health doctors, therapists and counselors. This includes the majority of professionals, including people who hold the following licenses:

• Licensed Clinic Social Worker
• Registered Nurse
• Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
• Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Other providers may also be covered.

Since mental health treatment can be a highly personal process, it’s important to work with a provider you trust. If you don’t feel comfortable with the person you are seeing for treatment, Cigna health insurance allows you to switch to a different doctor or therapist with no penalty.

Cigna Mental Health Treatment Costs

Some patients may need to pay part of their mental health treatment costs. The details vary depending on the specific Cigna health plan, but typically there is a standard copay for routine services. You may also have to pay the cost of your deductible or a separate copay for emergency services or inpatient care. Cigna includes mental and behavioral health services as part of the standard deductible, so if you have already met it receiving other types of medical care, you typically will not need to pay a separate deductible for mental health treatment.

If you choose to use an out-of-network provider for routine care, you may have to pay more. Under some plans, you may need to pay the full cost of treatment yourself. Other plans may simply include a higher copay or other fees.

What Mental Illnesses Does Cigna Cover?

Cigna health insurance covers most mental and behavioral health issues, including both acute and chronic problems. These include, but are not limited to, mental health issues such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Substance abuse
• Bipolar disorder
• Panic disorder and panic attacks
• Schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

Many Cigna health plans also cover behavioral health services for things many people don’t think of as mental health problems, such as counseling for family and marital problems.