Does Cigna Cover Acupuncture? Employer Plans, HealthSpring and Discounts

Your back, neck or knee has been aching for weeks, someone suggested acupuncture, and you have a Cigna card. Will Cigna help pay? With Cigna, the honest answer is "it depends on who picked your plan." Acupuncture can be a covered benefit, a discount, or not part of your plan at all.

Your employer usually decides

Most people with Cigna get it through a job. Many of those employers are "self-funded": the company pays the claims and Cigna runs the plan. That means the employer chooses which extras to include, and acupuncture is one of the benefits that varies the most. Two people with Cigna cards from different companies can have very different acupuncture coverage.

Your plan's summary of benefits is the place to look. If acupuncture isn't listed as a covered service, it is usually excluded, even if you have a good reason for it.

When it is covered: Cigna's medical-need rules

Cigna publishes a coverage policy for acupuncture. In plain terms, when a plan includes the benefit, Cigna generally pays for acupuncture used for certain kinds of pain, such as some long-lasting back pain or knee pain, and expects treatment to show progress. Many plans also cap the number of visits a year, and the acupuncturist usually needs to be in Cigna's network. Ask the clinic whether they bill Cigna directly.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that acupuncture is commonly used for pain, and that it's generally safe when done by a trained practitioner using sterile needles. That is why many plans treat it as care for specific pain problems, not general wellness.

If you bought your own Cigna plan

Cigna has said it will leave the Affordable Care Act marketplace after 2026. If you bought your own plan, you'll need a new one for 2027 during open enrollment. When you compare plans, search each plan's benefits for "acupuncture" before you pick, because many individual plans exclude it.

Cigna on a Medicare card? Check for HealthSpring

Cigna sold its Medicare Advantage plans, and they now carry the HealthSpring name. Medicare Advantage plans must cover at least what Original Medicare covers. Medicare Part B covers acupuncture for chronic low back pain: up to 12 visits in 90 days, and up to 8 more if you're improving, with no more than 20 a year. The pain must have lasted 12 weeks or longer, have no known underlying disease as its cause, and not be linked to surgery or pregnancy. Some Medicare plans add more acupuncture as an extra benefit, so check your plan's Evidence of Coverage.

Checklist before you book

• Is acupuncture listed as a covered service on your plan?
• Which conditions does your plan cover it for?
• Is there a yearly visit limit, and do you need approval after the first visits?
• Is the acupuncturist in Cigna's network?
• What will you pay per visit: a copay, or coinsurance after your deductible?
• Do you need a referral? Some Cigna HMO and network plans require one.

Log in to myCigna or call the number on your card and ask about "acupuncture benefits." Note who you spoke to and the date.

If your plan doesn't cover it

Ask whether your plan has member discounts. Cigna offers discounts on some health and wellness services, which may include acupuncture, but that is a discount, not insurance. Many clinics also offer self-pay rates or packages, and HSA or FSA funds can usually be used. If the pain came from a car accident or a work injury, auto or workers' compensation insurance may pay instead, so tell the clinic how it started.

Find an acupuncturist who takes Cigna

Tell us your Cigna plan and ZIP code, and we'll help you find a nearby clinic that takes it. Find acupuncture near you that accepts Cigna.

Sources

• Cigna Coverage Policy: Acupuncture (CPG024)
• Medicare.gov: Acupuncture
• NCCIH: Acupuncture, Effectiveness and Safety