USAA employees… how is Cigna working out for you guys? Are you having issues with claims getting denied? I’ve seen both bad and good stories, so I’m kind of on the fence about it. Is it as bad as some people say?
Honestly, all health insurance companies are pretty frustrating. Switching from one to another is always rough. You’ll mostly hear stories of it being awful for some people and ‘better than the last insurance’ for others. Real customer satisfaction data usually isn’t shared with employees, so it’s mostly just personal experiences.
@Tyler
Sometimes health insurance companies get more blame than they deserve. In this case, USAA is probably self-insured, meaning they create the plan, and Cigna just manages it for them. USAA also uses Cigna’s network and discount rates. So, if Cigna is denying something, it’s likely because of USAA’s setup.
@Frankie
You’re right about USAA being self-insured and Cigna just administering the plan, but I think to keep ERISA protection, USAA doesn’t actually make decisions on individual claims. That’s all left to Cigna, the plan administrator.
@Tyler
Yeah, fair point. USAA sets the rules for what’s covered and what isn’t, and then Cigna handles the actual decisions based on those guidelines.
@Frankie
That doesn’t sound very reassuring 
It’s terrible.
Dane said:
It’s terrible.
Oh no Could you explain a bit more? What’s been your experience?
I’m a former employee still on COBRA. I was a bit hesitant about switching to Cigna, and some of my doctors were out of network. But then, two months ago, I had a really bad accident. Needed an ambulance, a night in the ER, and then five days in the hospital, including surgery. The bills totaled over $350k, and I’ve only had to pay around $3,000 out of pocket. I’ve actually been pretty impressed with how Cigna handled it all. I think I’ll stay with them for another year before considering the public marketplace.
@Jody
So sorry to hear about your accident! Glad Cigna worked out for you and that you’re okay. Thanks for sharing, I’ve been a bit anxious about it, so this helps!
Wait… they switched from Aetna to Cigna? That’s terrible.