There’s a high likelihood that your current medical insurance has a dental plan. However, not all dental plans cater to orthodontics, which is considered a cosmetic treatment. Furthermore, it is outwardly more expensive than most other dental treatments available.
You may have heard about Cigna insurance, and you’re looking to enroll in its dental plan. But does it cover orthodontic treatment?
This post seeks to answer all your key questions regarding Cigna dental orthodontic coverage, becoming the perfect starting point for you.
Cigna Insurance: The best total value insurance
Cigna Insurance offers one of the most convenient dental plans, which are quite affordable depending on your personal needs. Additionally, it is possible to enroll in a Cigna dental orthodontic coverage without technically enrolling in its medical plan, making it convenient for those seeking only dental coverage.
Does Cigna provide orthodontic treatment coverage?
Cigna has three key dental plans: Cigna Preventive, Cigna Dental 1000, and Cigna Dental 1500.
Out of the three, orthodontic treatment is only covered on the Cigna Dental 1500 package.
Cigna Dental 1500
This is the only Cigna dental plan that covers orthodontics, such as braces and clear aligners like Invisalign.
Pricing starts at $35 per person per month, and you stand to get coverage of up to $1,000 in orthodontia.
Cigna Dental 1000
This is yet another premium dental plan, a little cheaper than Cigna Dental 1500 and it doesn’t cover braces or any form of orthodontic treatment. However, subscribers to this plan are viable to get discounted orthodontic treatment from in-network dentists and clinics.
Cigna Dental preventive
This cover only caters to preventive dental concerns, such as dental X-rays. It does not cover braces or Invisalign treatment.
Are Invisible aligners and braces covered by Cigna?
The Cigna Dental 1500 is the only plan from Cigna that can provide orthodontic benefits. The plan caters to Invisalign aligners and covers up to 50% of the provider’s fee. This means that Invisalign cost with Cigna insurance becomes lower and more affordable.
However, this coverage often comes with limitations, such as having to wait for at least a full year before you can start enjoying the benefits. Besides that, there’s a $1,000 lifetime maximum for each person.
The other plans, Dental 1000 and Dental Preventive do not provide Cigna dental Invisalign coverage.
How Much Does Invisalign Cost With Cigna?
For you to fully comprehend how Cigna Insurance will help cater to your orthodontic treatment, it would be prudent first to know how much you’d expect to pay for orthodontics. It would help to note that orthodontic treatment cost varies depending on the type of treatment you choose, the condition, and the dentist.
Here’s an average breakdown of key orthodontic treatments and their cost before insurance:
Clear aligners
Although Invisalign is one of the most popular clear aligners, there are other new entrants into the market which you can find at a much lower price. On average, Invisalign costs between $3,000 and $8,000, with some paying even more, depending on their condition, the location, and their orthodontist. Byte costs between $1,800 and $2,200 for the entire treatment.
You can greatly reduce Invisalign costs with Cigna insurance, meaning you don’t have to pay the full amount, while still enjoying the same services.
Braces
Braces are known to offer one of the most effective results in orthodontic treatment. The cost varies depending on the type of treatment chosen, the severity of the condition, and the location you’re getting your treatment.
Traditional or metallic braces are usually the cheapest. Ceramic braces are a little more expensive, but not as much as lingual braces. You can get braces from as low as $1,000, while lingual braces can shoot as high as $7,000.
What does Cigna dental insurance cover?
Insurance companies classify dental procedures into four categories: preventive, basic, major, and cosmetic.
The majority, if not all, dental plans cater to preventive treatments, such as teeth cleaning. Others will go to the extent of covering basic treatment, such as gum disease treatment, fillings, and root canal treatment. Some dental plans may cater up to 75% of the total cost on the basic list.
Crowns and bridges are often classified as major dental treatments, and insurers can only cover a lower premium on them, sometimes around 50% of the total cost.
So, does Cigna dental cover braces?
Most orthodontic insurance companies that offer dental plans rarely cover cosmetic procedures like whitening, snap on veneers, etc. It would be prudent to note that braces and clear aligners are often considered cosmetic forms of treatment. However, you’ll find some insurers that classify it as a form of major treatment.
Before settling on your dental plan provider, it would help first to understand all their classifications and how much premiums they’ll be paying for each procedure. Furthermore, you should also find out about age, annual, or lifetime limits.
Additionally, it is also essential to understand the common insurance terminologies to know the coverage of your dental plan:
- Deductible: This is the amount that you’ll need to pay out of pocket before the insurance picks up the tab.
- Copay: Copay is short for copayment, a preset payment plan that you have to pay for certain procedures.
- Coinsurance: This is the percentage of the total treatment costs you’ll need to cover once you meet the deductibles.
How to get orthodontic treatment with Cigna
For you to enjoy orthodontic treatment coverage with Cigna, you need to purchase the Cigna Dental 1500 plan, which caters to orthodontics. This is the only plan from Cigna that provides orthodontic coverage to help you get the right braces or even invisible braces, such as Invisalign.
One way to get started with a suitable dental plan from Cigna is to purchase an individual plan which can be done directly through their website. The good thing about this is that you do not have to wait for an open enrollment period, as you can apply for a dental plan at any time of the year.
The other way to get Cigna dental cover is through your employer. Employer-sponsored plans are a favorite to many as one gets their insurance premiums directly deducted from their wages before tax. This ends up reducing what you owe in taxes.
However, an employer-sponsored dental plan has a few crucial setbacks to consider. For starters, you’ll be limited to the plan options offered by the employer. This will become problematic if you seek specific dental treatment, such as orthodontics, which may not be covered in that particular plan.
Orthodontic treatment plans if you’re not covered by Cigna
If you’d like to get orthodontic treatment but you’re not yet covered by Cigna insurance, there are other ways that you can use to get affordable treatment:
I. Alternative payment plans
You can inquire from your orthodontist whether they have alternative payment methods for orthodontic treatment. Moreover, they may also permit you to pay in installments, such as paying half of what you owe upfront and the balance spread out over several months.
II. Discount plans for invisible braces
Asking for discounts is also another way to relieve yourself of the burden on orthodontic treatment payments. For starters, you can inquire from your orthodontist if they have any deals for major orthodontic treatment.
Furthermore, you may get discount plans for orthodontics through some major dental insurance companies. Cigna is one of these insurers that may provide discount plans as alternative payment methods.
You may also find discounts from third-party entities. Careington is one of the companies that provide dental discount plans which you can use for orthodontic treatment.
What customers say about Cigna
Before settling on any dental insurance plan, it would be prudent to understand what other customers have to say.
The consumer affairs website rates Cigna at 3.5 stars out of 5. The overall mood of the customers indicates that they were satisfied with the company.
FAQ
Cigna is one of the largest dental insurers with a wide coverage of over 93,000 dentists in over 270,000 locations countrywide.
Cigna is one of the few dental insurers with an orthodontic cover, which includes braces. Besides that, you can get preventive (e.g. X-rays) and restorative (e.g. crowns and bridges) dental services covered under your plan.
One can easily cancel their membership by notifying Cigna Dental Savings either verbally or in writing.
Cigna’s health cover is only available in 10 states. However, Cigna Dental Plans are available in 49 states with a network of over 93,000 dentists to choose from.
Cigna is one of the few insurers to provide orthodontics in its dental plans. With a large network of over 93,000 dentists in 270,000 locations, Cigna is gaining more popularity due to its affordability and ease of use.
