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Does Cigna Health Insurance Include Assisted Living in Its Coverage?
Date Updated: July 26, 2024
Written by:
Jackie Smart is an author and freelance content writer. For the past five years, she has written on numerous subjects, especially senior living, drawing on her own experiences of researching assisted living for an elderly relative. Jackie has since written extensively on the subject, focusing on how older adults can find help accessing services and the resources and programs in place to help them finance their long-term care.
Reviewed by:
Kristi Bickmann, a licensed Long-Term Care Specialist, represents top-rated "Traditional" & "Hybrid" LTC companies. Serving associations such as the American Nurses Association, she's a licensed insurance agent in 27 states. Specializing in insurance products for seniors, Kristi helps hundreds of families every year protect assets, retirement, and loved ones. She understands aging concerns firsthand, having assisted her own parents. Kristi ensures accuracy on topics about senior long-term care and its consequences.
Cigna health insurance doesn’t include assisted living in its coverage. As a global insurance provider, it covers more than 170 million people, approximately 600,000 of whom are American seniors enrolled on a Cigna Medicare Advantage Plan.
With 70% of retirees requiring some form of long-term care, Cigna beneficiaries must understand what coverage includes. Because Cigna doesn’t cover assisted living, you need to find other ways to pay, and there’s a list of relevant resources at the end of this guide.
What Cigna insurance plans cover
Cigna offers three main health insurance plans for seniors aged 65 and older: Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Medicare Part D.
Medicare Advantage
Cigna’s Medicare Advantage policies bundle together Medicare Parts A, B and D and cover expenses for medical services, including:
- Skilled nursing care
- Lab tests and X-rays
- Emergency transportation
- Screening for cancer, diabetes and other conditions
- Medical devices and mobility aids
These plans include additional benefits, such as vision, hearing, dental, over-the-counter medications and fitness programs. You can save money with many of these plans, as they require low or no monthly premiums.
Medigap
Also known as Cigna Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, Medigap policies help retirees pay for expenses that regular Medicare doesn’t cover, including deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance.
Medicare Part D
Seniors already enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B can opt for a Cigna Medicare Part D Plan. This stand-alone policy offers coverage on over 3,000 medications and helps retirees save money when they shop within Medicare’s national network of pharmacies.
Cigna insurance and assisted living
Cigna insurance plans don’t cover custodial or non-skilled services provided in an assisted living facility. These include bed, board and assistance with bathing, dressing, hygiene and meal preparation. Policies might cover short-term nursing care, part-time home health care (not including custodial services), respite care and hospice care.
Other ways to pay for assisted living
Cigna doesn’t cover assisted living, but you can explore other ways to pay for care in a long-term care community. These include:
- Medicaid and Medicaid waivers
- Selling assets, such as a property
- Cashing in life insurance policies
- Veteran benefits
- Long Term Care Insurance (LTCI)
- Retirement benefits, such as reverse mortgages, IRAs and annuities