Cigna Healthcare Appeal Help
Cigna Healthcare Denied Your Claim? How to Appeal
Your Cigna plan type sets your appeal deadline and route; your denial letter states both.
Free, always. No account. You review every word before you send it — and we never send anything to your insurer. You do.
Encrypted · identifiers removed before drafting
Quick Answer
To appeal a Cigna denial, answer the stated reason with your records and ask who reviewed your case. Employer and individual plans must give you at least 180 days to appeal (29 CFR 2560.503-1; 45 CFR 147.136), followed by an independent external review; Medicare Advantage plans give you 60 days (42 CFR 422.582). AppealArmor drafts the appeal letter from your denial letter, free and with no account.
Which Cigna plan do you have?
Your plan type decides the rules, the deadline and where you complain. It is printed on your member card and your denial letter.
Employer plan
Federal claims rules apply (29 CFR 2560.503-1): you have at least 180 days from receiving the denial to appeal to Cigna, then an independent external review. Complaints go to your state insurance department for an insured plan, or the U.S. Department of Labor’s EBSA for a self-funded plan.
Individual or marketplace plan
The same 180-day minimum applies (45 CFR 147.136), followed by an independent external review. Complaints go to your state insurance department.
Medicare Advantage plan
Ask Cigna to reconsider within 60 days of receiving the notice (42 CFR 422.582); if Cigna upholds a denial of care it must send your case to an independent review entity (42 CFR 422.590). Complaints go to 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), not your state insurance department.
How to build a Cigna appeal
Ask whether a physician reviewed your record
In March 2023 ProPublica reported that, over two months, Cigna doctors denied over 300,000 payment requests using a system called PxDx, spending an average of 1.2 seconds on each. If your denial looks automated, ask Cigna to confirm that a reviewer with appropriate training and experience in the field reviewed your complete record (29 CFR 2560.503-1(h)(3)(iii) for employer plans).
Drug denials
For a drug denial, ask for the coverage policy and the clinical criteria Cigna or its pharmacy benefit manager (Express Scripts, part of Evernorth) applied, and answer each one with your records.
Ask for a peer-to-peer call
Your doctor can ask to speak with the Cigna reviewer before or during the appeal. Note the date, the reviewer’s name and what was said.
How AppealArmor Fights Your Cigna Denial
Upload Your Cigna Denial Letter
Upload the denial letter from Cigna Healthcare. AppealArmor reads the denial reason, plan details and appeal deadline, and you confirm every detail before anything is written.
We Find the Federal Rules for Your Plan
AppealArmor cites the federal appeal rules for your type of plan from the eCFR, plus state law where it applies, and names the agency that oversees your plan. It does not use insurer-specific research.
Download Your Appeal Packet
Your packet is the appeal letter (Word and PDF) and a Next Steps sheet: where to send it, your deadline as your letter states it, who to copy, and who to contact if it is denied again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to appeal a Cigna denial?
Employer and individual plans must give you at least 180 days from receiving the denial (29 CFR 2560.503-1(h)(3)(i); 45 CFR 147.136). Medicare Advantage gives you 60 days (42 CFR 422.582), and Medicaid plans 60 days from the date on the notice (42 CFR 438.402). The deadline in your denial letter controls.
How do I appeal a Cigna denial?
Send Cigna a written appeal that answers the reason on the denial, with your doctor’s letter and records, and ask for an independent external review if Cigna says no again. AppealArmor drafts that letter and cites the federal appeal rules for your type of plan, plus state law where it applies. It does not use insurer-specific research.
Where do I complain about Cigna?
It depends on your plan: your state insurance department for an individual or insured employer plan, the U.S. Department of Labor’s EBSA for a self-funded employer plan, 1-800-MEDICARE for a Medicare plan, and your state Medicaid agency for a Medicaid plan. A complaint does not replace the appeal, so file both.
Did ProPublica report on Cigna denials?
Yes. In March 2023 ProPublica reported that Cigna doctors denied over 300,000 payment requests in two months using a system called PxDx, spending an average of 1.2 seconds on each. AppealArmor does not list other Cigna fines or settlements because they could not be verified against primary sources.
Does AppealArmor work for Cigna denials?
Yes. AppealArmor reads your Cigna denial letter, asks you to confirm every detail, and drafts an appeal letter that answers the stated reason and cites the federal appeal rules for your type of plan, plus state law where it applies. It does not use insurer-specific research, enforcement history or case law.
Appeal your Cigna denial
Upload your Cigna Healthcare denial, check every detail we read from it, and get an appeal letter that answers the denial and cites the federal appeal rules for your plan, plus state law where it applies.
Start my appealFree, always. No account. You review every word before you send it — and we never send anything to your insurer. You do.