Expert Assessment of Cigna
Cigna is a huge international company and one of the largest medical insurers in America. Offering one of the largest networks of hospitals globally. They have a huge global book of members and at times we have found their underwriters have struggled to adjust to the pricing in the UAE market, often quotes can be double that of their competitors when first received. Their renewal pricing also means that SME’s should expect a minimum of 12% increase each year, with more realistic increases being around 18%. This will be given without disclosing the group’s claims data, which means planning ahead can be very difficult.
They recently acquired Zurich’s old license and so no longer need a fronting partner in the UAE. This meant they split with the previous partner SAICO, who they had been paired with since entry to the market. Naturally, this has caused a huge shift in internal procedures and processes, which unfortunately has been felt by the members with confusion and delays on approvals, network issues and payments. We would expect these issues to clear up over time as Cigna get used to their new structure and network (Neuron).
Cigna’s Envoy app is one of the best in the Middle East market, as members can get access to their plan details and the Cigna team, wherever they are in the world.
The international structure of the plans provide members with global networks which enable them to get their treatments done anywhere in the world. This is highly valued by expatriates living in the UAE.
Cigna’s SME plans offer MHD (medical history disregarded) for companies with 2 or more employees. This means that any minor medical condition does not need to be mentioned on the application. For example, in an SME or small business, if one of the employees has diabetes, the group medical insurance price will not increase as the standard insurance costs will be applied to all members. Other insurance providers only MHD terms to companies with 10 employees or more.
Whilst still building the SME and individual business in the UAE, Cigna are a great global brand that can be relied on in emergencies.
If you are a business owner or HR professional in the UAE, you’re looking to save money on your employee benefits package and reduce your company medical insurance costs, we will review your current plans and related expenses. Please contact us or call us on +971 (0) 4559 4900.
At AES International, we focus on providing long-term solutions, tailored to an individual organisation’s needs, to help you improve overall employee wellness, drive up productivity and engagement, and enable you to manage your corporate medical insurance spend year on year.