CIGNA is an international insurance company that offers accident, life and disability insurance in addition to several kinds of health insurance plans. Members can purchase either individual or family plans, and CIGNA works with many employers to provide their workers with group health insurance rates. The company also offers special health programs such as its CIGNA Choice health savings account, along with Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans. Two of CIGNA's most popular health insurance policies are CIGNA's PPO and Open Access plans, which offer some of the same benefits but differ in other significant ways.
Physician Choice
CIGNA PPO is a preferred provider organization plan. The PPO allows customers to go to any licensed health care provider they want, without needing to choose a primary care physician (PCP) or getting a referral first for specialty services. The Open Access Plus plan works best within a network of providers from which you choose services. You can see any licensed doctor inside or outside the network, but you have more benefits if you stay inside the network. You do not need a referral to see an in-network specialist. Emergency care is covered no matter where you receive it, but hospital care should be done through an institution recommended by your PCP. (See Reference 1.)
Services
CIGNA's PPO plan covers routine medical care like physicals and treatment for colds, flu, headaches and fevers. Open Access does as well, though you should stay inside the network when you choose a doctor to visit. Both Open Access and the PPO provide benefits for in-patient and out-patient hospital care and surgery. The main difference in service between the two is that with Open Access, you need to always stay within your network for specialty services such as cardiology and orthopedics, whereas with the PPO plan, you can make an appointment with any specialist. (See Reference 2.)
Costs
The biggest difference between the CIGNA PPO and Open Access plans lie in your share of the costs. According to CIGNA's cost examples for 2010, if you have the PPO, your co-payment for a doctor's visit is $20 for an in-network physician, and any lab tests done at the office are provided at no extra cost. Your co-payment for an in-network specialist would be $45. If you decide to go out of network, that is your prerogative, but your share of the fee for a doctor's visit will be $85, and the fee for seeing a specialist goes to $150 until you meet your deductible. With the Open Access plan, co-pays for a network primary care doctor are $15 per visit, and fees for a network specialist are $30. (See Reference 3.)
