Cigna Is Ending Its Individual & Family Plans — But Not Its Other Provider Networks

What changed 

Beginning January 1, 2027, Cigna Healthcare will discontinue its medical Individual & Family Plans (IFPs) both on and off the Health Insurance Marketplace. 

Patients enrolled in those plans will have coverage through December 31, 2026. Cigna says affected customers were notified on July 1 and will need to select new coverage for the 2027 plan year. For providers, however, Cigna makes an important distinction. 

The company states that participation in other Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Behavioral Health networks is not affected, and provider agreements do not need to be amended because of the IFP discontinuation. 

Cigna also states that its commercial medical plans and dental IFPs are not affected by this particular change. Claims for services incurred while coverage was effective will continue to be processed when submitted within applicable federal and state timely-filing requirements and account-specific guidelines. For behavioral health providers, Cigna says affected IFP patients can be identified through their ID cards, which will indicate coverage under a Cigna Connect plan. 

Why it matters for your practice 

This is a useful reminder that a payer and a payer product are not interchangeable terms. A practice can remain contracted with Cigna while one Cigna product is discontinued. That means the end of IFP coverage should not automatically trigger a change to the provider's broader Cigna network status. 

The operational issue will instead appear when patients transition to new coverage for 2027. Patients may contact the practice asking whether the office participates in another plan they are considering. Cigna specifically warns providers that affected customers may call their offices with questions about participation in other networks. 

The relevant question is therefore which specific product and network the patient will have after the transition. 

What to do — and what not to do 

• Identify patients currently covered by the affected IFP products and prepare front-office staff for questions during the 2027 coverage transition. 
• When patients present new insurance information, verify the specific plan and network rather than relying only on the Cigna name. 
• For services rendered while the IFP coverage remained effective, continue to follow the applicable timely-filing requirements. 
• Do not amend or terminate an existing Cigna provider agreement solely because the IFP product is ending. Cigna expressly states that other Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Behavioral Health network participation is not affected. 

Cigna is ending a product, not its other provider networks. For 2027, verify the product and network — not simply the Cigna name on the card. 

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