Navigating life without a solid foundation of mental health can feel overwhelming. While many try to suppress negative thoughts or feelings, others recognize that seeking help is a sign of strength. Unfortunately, cost can be a barrier to those getting the help they need, with many seeking insurance to help alleviate the costs of mental health care.
But with the American insurance landscape being so complicated and confusing, it can be tough to understand whether your health insurance covers what you need. If you have Cigna Healthcare, this post can help you learn more about what mental health services are covered and what you might need to pay for them.
What is Cigna?
Cigna Healthcare is a global health insurance provider that offers individual and employer-sponsored health plans and solutions to make health care more affordable.
Individuals covered by Cigna may access medical, dental, pharmacy, and behavioral health benefits depending on their specific plans. Everything from annual check-ups to virtual visits with a doctor to emergency room care can be covered under Cigna insurance.
Cigna plans can also provide a number of mental health benefits, including access to licensed mental health providers for therapy or treatment for issues such as substance misuse.
Does Cigna insurance cover therapy?
Yes, many plans offered by Cigna cover therapy—including in-person and online therapy—as well as a wide range of mental health services that are designed to help with substance use, depression, anxiety, stress, relationship issues, and more. To confirm that therapy is covered by your specific plan, we recommend you reach out to Cigna directly.
What therapies does Cigna insurance cover?
Cigna insurance covers many types of therapy that serve as quality care options for mental health conditions. You should confirm what types of therapy your specific Cigna plan covers. In general, the types of therapy Cigna typically covers include:
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Family therapy
- Group Therapy
- Marriage and couples therapy
Learn more about other types of therapy you might find when seeking mental health care, and be sure to double check your specific Cigna health plan, or reach out to Cigna directly, to understand what therapy may be covered by your Cigna insurance.
Search for therapists who accept Cinga insurance
Does Cigna insurance cover online therapy?
Yes, Cigna covers both online therapy (also referred to as telehealth or virtual therapy) as well as in-person therapy. Online therapy through Cigna is available nationwide, based on the platform you may be seeking care through. You can receive virtual therapy covered by Cigna on Grow Therapy in every state we are available in.
Does Cigna insurance cover out-of-network therapy?
Cigna insurance may cover out-of-network therapy in certain circumstances. If you want to see an out-of-network mental healthcare provider, it may cost much more than seeing an in-network provider. You may have to pay out of pocket, and you should check beforehand to see if you will be able to file for any kind of reimbursement from Cigna. If you have questions about out-of-network therapy coverage, please refer to your Cigna summary of benefits (SOB) as described below, or contact Cigna directly.
How to check if your Cigna plan covers therapy
There are three main ways to find out if your Cigna plan covers therapy and, if so, what it covers and how much it will cost.
1. Check your Cigna insurance “summary of benefits” (SOB)
On the SOB document, look for a row titled “If you need mental health, behavioral health, or substance abuse services” and refer to the second column that says “Outpatient services.”
Sample image—your summary of benefits may look different depending on your provider
If the “Network Provider” and/or “Out-of-Network Provider” say “not covered,” then your Cigna plan does not cover mental health services such as therapy.
If the “Network Provider” and/or “Out-of-Network Provider” give cost information, such as a copay or coinsurance, then your Cigna plan does cover mental health services.
To learn more about how SOBs are structured, you can refer to this sample SOB from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
2. Contact Cigna directly
Contacting Cigna directly is the best way to get the exact information you need about what types of mental health care are covered.
To find contact information for Cigna, you can:
- Find the phone number to call, located on the backside of your insurance ID card
- Use the Cigna website to log into your account, and either chat or email an Cigna representative directly
3. Use a therapy provider like Grow Therapy
On Grow Therapy, you can search for Cigna therapists in your state who provide virtual or in-person care. Once you’ve found and booked an appointment with a therapist who you feel will be a good fit for your needs, Grow Therapy will verify your coverage and benefits and share any out-of-pocket expenses you need to be aware of. With Grow Therapy, there are no unexpected surprised with your therapy coverage.
How much does therapy with Cigna cost?
Most people who are insured by Cigna will either be fully covered by their plan, or have to pay a small copay amount. For most clients, the average cost of therapy with Cigna insurance is $2.50 – $77 per session, after the deductible has been met. For those who haven’t met their deductible yet, or for whose plan does not cover therapy, the typical cash pay cost range for therapy is $80 – $200 per session.
These are average ranges. If you are insured by Cigna, the cost of therapy will depend on your plan’s specific coverage. You should always confirm your out-of-pocket costs before your appointment.
Average cost of therapy with Cigna insurance by state
| State | Avg Cost | State | Avg Cost | State | Avg Cost |
| Alabama | $0 – $60 | Kansas | $0 – $108 | New Jersey | $0 – $89 |
| Arizona | $0 – $105 | Kentucky | $0 – $105 | New York | $0 – $89 |
| Arkansas | $0 – $105 | Louisiana | $0 – $105 | North Carolina | $0 – $105 |
| California | $0 – $55 | Maine | $0 – $105 | Ohio | $0 – $105 |
| Connecticut | $0 – $89 | Maryland | $0 – $45 | Pennsylvania | $0 – $89 |
| Delaware | $0 – $50 | Massachusetts | $0 – $105 | South Carolina | $0 – $105 |
| Washington DC | $0 – $60 | Michigan | $0 – $105 | Tennessee | $0 – $100 |
| Florida | $0 – $60 | Minnesota | $0 – $105 | Texas | $0 – $89 |
| Georgia | $0 – $60 | Mississippi | $0 – $77 | Utah | $0 – $105 |
| Hawaii | $0 – $40 | Missouri | $0 – $89 | Virginia | $0 – $83 |
| Idaho | $25 – $40 | Montana | $20 – $50 | Vermont | $10 – $48 |
| Illinois | $0 – $105 | Nebraska | $50 – $67 | Washington | $0 – $105 |
| Indiana | $0 – $105 | Nevada | $0 – $105 | Wisconsin | $0 – $40 |
| Iowa | $0 – $35 | New Hampshire | $0 – $40 |
Looking at the therapy cost table above, we find that 7% of states have an average cost between $0 – $40, 9.75% between $0 – $60, 14.5% of the states have an average cost between $0 – $89, and 39% have an average cost between $0 – $105.
This means that 58% of all states where Cigna is accepted have an average therapy cost between $0 – $100, with the most expensive state for therapy being Kansas ($0 – $108), and the least expensive state for therapy being Iowa ($0 – $35).
Cigna insurance therapy copay
When paying for therapy, your copay—or copayment—is an important cost you should know about.
The copay is a fixed amount you have to pay for each therapy session. Copays can vary depending on your plan, so it’s important to double check your copay under the mental health coverage section on your SOB.
If you have any doubts or questions about if you have to pay a copay, or what your copay is, you should reach out to Cigna support directly.
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Does Cigna require a referral to see a therapist?
Depending on your specific plan, Cigna may require a referral to see a therapist or receive mental health benefits.
Per Cigna, “Follow your employer’s medical plan requirements to make an appointment with a psychiatrist (a mental health medical doctor), therapist, or an inpatient treatment hospital or clinic. Your doctor, counselor or therapist may also refer you and help you coordinate care or treatment.”
Visit the Cigna website for more information.
Find a Cigna therapist
Finding a therapist who accepts Cigna insurance is not as difficult as you might think. There are several resources available to help you find a Cigna therapist online.
1. Check your insurance plan (if you currently have Cigna insurance)
If you are currently covered by Cigna, the first thing to do is check your insurance plan. This will show you what mental health services are covered, and what you might have to pay for.
You can do this by looking at your Cigna online account, calling the customer service number on your insurance card, or reading your plan documents.
2. Grow Therapy
You can find a Cigna therapist in almost every state within the U.S. using Grow Therapy. Simply select your state from the list below and explore our Cigna therapists in your area.
Search Cigna therapists by state.
3. Cigna.com
To access Cigna’s online directory, you can visit their website or download their mobile app.
From there, you can search for providers by location, specialty, name, and other factors to help you find a provider that meets your specific needs.
Using Cigna’s online directory can save you time and effort when searching for a mental health provider. Instead of calling multiple providers to see if they accept your insurance, you can quickly and easily find in-network providers in your area with just a few clicks.
Other insurance providers that cover Mental Health
- All Savers
- Aetna
- AmeriHealth Administrators
- AmeriHealth New Jersey
- AmeriHealth Pennsylvania
- AvMed
- Evernorth
- Harvard Pilgrim
- Husky Health
- Magellan
- Medicare
- Optum
- Oscar
- Oxford
- Superior Health Plan
- Surest
- Tufts Health
- United Healthcare
- United Medical Resources
- UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
- Wellcare Medicare
