The answer to this question depends on your needs as a client, the kind of coverage you’re after, your budget, and your preferred health provider. Both offer excellent services at affordable rates, and they treat their customers as a priority. In this article, we reviewed both companies to help you decide on which health insurer is the better option.
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a health insurer is cost. Unfortunately, we cannot give you an estimate on the cost of policies from these insurers. You will have to reach out to them directly for a quote.
Another most important factor in selecting an insurance provider is the coverage offered. Cigna they have the following plans available:
1. Dental and vision
2. Group health insurance
3. Health and wellness programs
4. Individual and family insurance
5. Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare supplement insurance plans
6. Pharmacy programs
7. Savings and spending account
8. Supplemental plans
There are many things to love about Cigna health insurance. Still, the things that take the icing on the cake are the free medical visit, numerous plans available for customers to choose from, and their high customer satisfaction rating.
However, they aren’t so perfect. The annual out-of-pocket limits are high, and unfortunately, all plans are only available as Exclusive Provider Organization.
BCBS has the following plans available:
1. Individual and family plans
2. Medicare plans
3. Medicaid plans
These plans provide coverage for different services such as vision, dental, etc. The great thing about BCBS is that they have a large network of providers available across the US. And their pricing is transparent, not to mention they offer multiple discounts on their supplement plans.
Unfortunately, not all BCBS plans are available in all states, and some branches have received multiple complaints on how well they deal with their customers.
BCBS companies operate as separate entities with different names. Customers complained that this has made it difficult to have their services addressed by the appropriate branch.
The customer also lodged several complaints against the BCBS branches in Illinois and Michigan. These complaints related to payments, hold times, lack of follow-through and inaccurate information.
However, the Better Business Bureau rated both companies well in their customer complaint management sector as BCBS Illinois and Michigan received an A+ and A- respectively.
Under further scrutiny by the NAIC, the complaint totals for both companies were below the industry average. So, it’s safe to say that BCBS attends to customer grievances well enough.
Next up is Cigna; based on reviews from the BBB, NCQA, and Consumer Affairs, they perform well in managing customer complaints. The BBB rated Cigna an A- in its customer complaint management department, and NCQA rated them as mid to high performing.
Consumer Affairs rated Cigna 3.6/5 in this department, and this result is based on approximately 300 reviews. We can conclude that both companies prioritize their customer satisfaction.
This is the first thing that crosses the mind of anyone out to get health insurance; with who? As we all know, it is cheaper to deal with in-network providers than those out of your network.
Ensure that your insurance plan is accepted by your current health care provider, and if it’s not, you will either have to change health providers or insurance plans.
For many, this is the most important factor in selecting an insurance plan. Whatever plan you opt for should be affordable.
While we don’t advise going for the cheapest option as this might not always be the best, we advise you to stick within your budget.
Try to focus on quality but find a balance between quality and cost such that your finances aren’t suffering.
This is another important factor in determining a plan to purchase. Your health needs form the basis of what to expect from a health insurer.
If you are suffering from a chronic disease, then you expect coverage that covers treatment, doctor’s visits, medications, etc.
And if you are an athlete at risk of certain injuries, it is important that your company covers you for such incidences.
Many people might be wondering what is the big deal about health insurance anyway? Well, there are several reasons why different institutions are encouraging people to get a health insurance plan.
The first is that they help you combat lifestyle diseases, as these can be a struggle to deal with financially. The treatment and medications needed to control diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., can be on the expensive side.
Having health insurance also safeguards you and your family against financial crises. So many difficult medical situations are unplanned for; motor accidents, a stroke, or even organ failure. These situations can take a major bite out of your finances, and health insurance can help you.
Lastly, health insurance can save you from medical inflation. As time goes by, my medicine is advancing, and so the costs associated with getting medical assistance have increased. This can be hard to keep up with. Health insurance makes it possible to enjoy the best medical services affordably.
As we mentioned earlier, both Cigna and Blue Cross are reputable companies, and you should be satisfied with the services you get from either one.
However, before choosing, we would advise you to conduct your research. Ensure that the company services meet your requirements regarding cost and what have you. You can also seek the help of an insurance adviser on what company will suit your needs best.
Sources
Blue Cross Blue Shield Vs Cigna
Blue Cross Blue Shield Health insurance Review
Important Factors to Consider When Choosing Health Insurance