Registering your account at Cigna is easy.  Simply follow these steps to register:

1. Go to www.mycigna.com
2. Click the "Register Now" link
3. Enter the member information accordingly
4. Confirm identity by using any of the three options listed (Subscriber SSN, ID Number, Personal Questionnaire)
   • Note:  If you are registering as an eligible dependent, be sure to enter the primary members (employee, retiree) SSN and zip code
5. Create UserID as instructed
6. Review and verify information and click "Submit"
7. Accept the Agreement
8. Select your preference for mailed or electronic documents and communications such as EOB's
9. Complete your registration.  You may be asked to verify the email provided

Registering your account at MedImpact is easy.  Simply follow these steps to register:

1. Go to www.medimpact.com
2. Click the "Get Started" button on the Member Sign page
3. Enter the employee/retiree information accordingly
4. The Benefit ID number will be the RX ID# on your ID card

• For example: RX009999

Medical services you and your covered family members receive from “in-network” (contracted) providers, result in claims processed with network discounts off of billed charges and generally a richer benefit level for you (e.g. lower deductibles and coinsurance or copay amounts with no “balance billing” by in-network providers for the difference between their billed charges and the discounted allowed charges). There’s no coverage at all for preventive care and immunizations if you use an out-of-network provider. In addition, there are no out-of-pocket maximums to protect your personal financial liability on out-of-network services.

Bottom-Line:

• In-Network means lower out-of-pocket expenses to you - pay less money out of your pocket for the same services/treatment and,
• You are also a good steward for the Health Plan - the Employee Benefit Trust Fund pays claims at discounted network pricing as well

The City medical plans are contracted with the Cigna Open Access Plus for access to national network providers. This means that Cigna has thousands of provider contracts that they negotiate and manage with physicians, specialists, hospitals, labs, urgent care centers, home health services, facilities and other wide-ranging licensed and credentialed providers who have all agreed to accept negotiated rates for their services—which in turn save you and the Plan money. When you go outside the network, it’s a different story. You will probably pay more because these providers do not have any price agreements in place and expect to get their full billed charges …leaving you to pay the difference between what the plan considers allowed charges and what was billed out-of-network — this is called “balance billing.”

Some out-patient surgeries and services will be a combination of service providers like a surgeon/physician, assistant surgeon, operating room/facility, anesthesia and lab/radiology analysis etc. Typically in the out-patient setting and sometimes in the in -patient setting, these services will have separate providers/charges, most of whom you will be aware of before your surgery/ service and will have had an opportunity to review their network status.

However, not all will have a contract with Cigna under the Open Access Plus network. For example, it’s not unusual for anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists to provide their services at a free-standing surgery center, but not participate in any network including Cigna Open Access Plus. Under these circumstances, you may not even know the out-of-network provider is part of your service delivery until after the fact when their bill is presented.

Also, keep in mind that our medical administrator has no way of knowing whether or not you had a choice and/or did your due diligence to make sure you stayed in-network —so most likely these services will be separately coded as out-of-network in your Explanation of Benefits (EOB).

That said, the Plan will reasonably review your appeal, and allow you to explain that these out-of-network ancillary services were indeed out of your control. If the Plan accepts your appeal, these charges may be reconsidered and processed as an in-network benefit — meaning applicable in-network deductibles, coinsurance and out of pocket maximums would apply, but only to the extent of the reasonable and customary billed charge amounts You could still be held responsible for additional fees above and beyond reasonable and customary (balance billing by the out-of-network provider).

Generally a true emergency is defined as life threatening symptoms or an urgent onset of symptoms which if left untreated could result in more severe symptoms, disability or death (including but not limited to cardiac or stroke events, high body temperatures, severe dehydration, unconsciousness, respiratory distress, allergic reactions, severe pain, fractures/breaks, blood loss, trauma injuries etc.). If you are not sure if your needs are a true emergency, you can always call the 24-hour nurse line at 800-244-6224 or your family doctor, who can provide you with some guidance. Keep in mind that emergency room services cost you and the Plan more than regular doctor’s visits or urgent care centers, no matter whether in or out-of-network.

That said, if you have an emergency and need to go to a hospital emergency room, take care of yourself or your covered family member as soon as you can. Emergency services at a hospital emergency room are covered at the preferred in-network benefit level according to your plan design, based on discounted charges for in-network providers and billed charges for out-of-network providers. This could mean an in-network emergency room facility and an out-of-network emergency physician or vice versa on some occasions.

First and foremost you can go online to www.mycigna.com (if you are registered) or simply go to www.cigna.com to determine Cigna Open Access Plus network status. Additionally, the best advice is for you to contact your provider directly and ask if they “are contracted with Cigna under the Open Access Plus network.” Don’t simply ask “do they take/accept Cigna”. Most provider offices will tell you they take any insurance or network…but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are contracted with the specific network (big difference). Also, it doesn’t hurt to confirm that verbal verification by noting the person’s name, date and time of the call for your records.

Below are some instructions on how to find and verify your provider's network and/or you may call Cigna directly for assistance at 888-806-5042 (24 hours, 7 days a week).  Be careful about relying on past history about a provider’s in-network status. Providers are frequently being added (or dropped) from the network…so it wouldn’t hurt to confirm what you read in the online directory or were told by Cigna by calling the provider yourself—just to be sure.

If your doctor needs to refer you to a specialist, ask them to refer you to an in-network provider. And when and if they do, follow the previous procedure and check for yourself. Again, you are ultimately responsible for making in-network choices.

A Pre-Certification is a “pre-service” approval process that is required by our Plan Document to review and confirm the medical necessity of certain services you may need. Pre-certs are managed by Cigna. These requests from either you or your service provider, evaluate and “certify” the medical necessity of tests, surgeries, procedures or medications, in order to make sure the services you are getting are safe, FDA approved and medically necessary for the diagnosis/condition that you have (i.e. not experimental, supported by clinical evidence and show that there are no other alternative/less costly procedures that are just as effective).

Keep in mind, however, having your pre-certification approved, solely confirms that the services are medically necessary for the diagnosis that you have. It does NOT necessarily mean that the service is covered by the plan or that the provider performing the service is contracted as an in-network provider. Remember, that is still your responsibility to confirm. We suggest that you call ahead to Cigna and ask if your pre-certified procedure(s) are covered under the Plan you are in and verify with your provider(s) if they are in-network.

As of January 1, 2024, Cigna moved from physical medical ID cards to digital medical ID cards – although physical ID cards are still available to members who prefer that version. Physical ID cards received in earlier years are still good as long as you remain enrolled in the same plan.

You can access your digital ID card by either going to www.myCigna.com or by downloading the myCigna app to your phone. To view your digital ID card using the Cigna website, follow the instructions below and instead of clicking the link to submit a request for an ID card, click on the link for “View (Member’s Name) Medical ID card”. You can view an image of the front and back of your ID card and will have the option to download it to your computer.

To view your digital ID card using the myCigna app, simply log into the app using your username and password, then select the “ID Cards” option at the bottom of the screen. You will be able to view you and your family member’s ID cards and will have the option to either share, print or add the ID card to your digital Wallet.

To request new or replacement physical ID cards, you can make a phone call to Cigna’s customer service department at 1-800-244-6224 or go online to www.mycigna.com (member portal). Here’s the step-by-step for your online request:

• Log in to mycigna.com with your username and password.
• Select the “ID Cards” option at the top of the page. You can specify which family member you would like to request a card for.
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link for “…submit a request for (Member’s Name) physical Medical ID card…” and click on the Submit button.