Many Veterans utilize private companies such as Cigna Health Insurance for their healthcare needs.
This page will discuss how Veterans can utilize Cigna health insurance for addiction treatment.
Does Cigna Cover Drug & Alcohol Treatment for Veterans?
Yes, Cigna plans are required by law to cover substance use treatment. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurance companies to provide coverage for mental health and addiction treatment services.1
Further, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equality Act (MHPAEA) mandates that individual policies must cover these services to the same extent that other medical services are covered.2
How Much Does Rehab for Veterans Cost with Cigna Insurance?
If you use your Cigna coverage to pay for addiction treatment, your out-of-pocket cost will depend on several factors, including the individual Cigna policy, the treatment facility, and the type of treatment needed. Costs often include the following:
- Deductible: This is the dollar amount you must pay per year on covered healthcare services (excludes premiums) before insurance coverage starts paying for treatment.3
- Copayment: This is a fixed amount you may owe for a healthcare service after you’ve paid your deductible (e.g., $20 per visit to an outpatient clinic), while Cigna or the VA pays the rest.4
- Co-insurance rate: Also called a co-insurance percentage, this is the percentage of costs you may owe for a treatment service after you’ve paid your deductible. For example, instead of a copayment owed at the point of service, you may owe a percentage of the total treatment cost (e.g., 30% of the cost of inpatient treatment) while Cigna or the VA pays the remainder.5
You may be able to use your Cigna and VA benefits together to cover the out-of-pocket costs like the ones listed above.6
Every Cigna insurance policy will have an out-of-pocket limit. Once you’ve paid this amount on covered treatment services within a year, Cigna will 100% of the remaining costs (i.e., no more co-insurance percentages or copayments owed).7
Does Having Cigna Insurance Mean I Can’t Use VA Benefits?
No, you can still use your VA health benefits even if you have a Cigna policy. Getting and maintaining private insurance does not affect your VA benefits at all.6
There are certain advantages to having both private insurance and VA benefits. For example, if you owe copayments for non-service-connected care, money from Cigna may be used to cover them. Additionally, you may be able to apply VA healthcare charges toward your Cigna deductible.6
How Do I use Cigna Coverage with my VA Benefits?
When you have both Cigna insurance and VA benefits, you can use your additional coverage to pay for some—or all—of the remaining balance for treatment.6
Be sure to share your Cigna insurance information with the VA. Doing so enables the VA to apply funds from Cigna to cover copayments and use VA charges toward your deductible.6
Do Providers Outside of the VA Accept Cigna for Addiction Treatment?
Yes, Cigna is a private insurance company that is accepted by many non-service treatment facilities across the United States.8
The first step in using Cigna to cover addiction treatment is to find a facility that accepts your Cigna insurance. Finding a treatment center that is part of the Cigna healthcare network will often result in lower out-of-pocket costs than ones that don’t, since these facilities contract directly with Cigna to provide care at discounted fees.9
Before using Cigna to cover addiction treatment, you may need to obtain pre-authorization. The purpose of pre-authorization or prior authorization is for your insurer to verify that the treatment service you’re requesting is both medically necessary and the most cost-effective option.10
Admissions navigators at can help you verify your Cigna insurance coverage at an American Addiction Centers (AAC) facility and help you obtain pre-authorization from Cigna.
You can also use the Cigna website portal to search for in-network providers.
Does Cigna Cover Medications for Veterans?
Yes, Cigna insurance provides coverage for medications, though the extent of medication coverage will depend on your Cigna health insurance plan. Cigna members can use the “Price a Medication” tool to check which medications are covered and how much they will cost with their plan.11
You may be able to combine your Cigna insurance and VA benefits to cover most or all of your copayments.6
What Does Cigna Not Cover?
The various services and treatments that are covered and not covered depend on the type of plan you have. Keep in mind that due to the mandates of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), coverage for addiction treatment must be equitable to the coverage provided for medical, surgical, and preventative care.1
However, Cigna will likely not cover holistic therapies, alternative medicine, or other non-evidence-based programs. That said, many covered residential treatment centers may provide these forms of treatment in conjunction with evidence-based approaches.
In addition, you may need prior authorization to obtain coverage for certain services, depending on your insurance plan.10
Which States Does Cigna Service?
As of 2016, Cigna offers medical coverage plans in 12 states, including:12
- Arizona.
- California.
- Colorado.
- Connecticut.
- Florida.
- Georgia.
- Maryland.
- Missouri.
- North Carolina.
- South Carolina.
- Tennessee.
- Texas.
Get Help Today
Call to start the admissions process at an AAC facility or inquire about the levels of care offered at AAC facilities and how to use your health insurance to cover addiction treatment. You can also verify your insurance coverage by filling out the confidential online form below.