Cigna (Cigna Healthcare): Timely Filing, Appeals, and Billing Guide
Cigna Healthcare is a national commercial and Medicare Advantage payer within The Cigna Group, covering employer, individual, Medicare Advantage, and behavioral-health (Evernorth) lines. Its in-network commercial timely-filing limit is commonly 90 days from the date of service, with 180-day commercial appeals — confirm both in your contract, since state statutes such as California's 365-day rule can override them.
- Type
- Commercial, Medicare Advantage, behavioral (Evernorth)
- Timely filing
- 90 days in-network (confirm in contract)
- Appeal deadline
- 180 days commercial; 65 days MA
- Portal
- CignaforHCP.com
What is Cigna?
Cigna Healthcare is the health-benefits arm of The Cigna Group, covering commercial employer plans, individual coverage, and Cigna Medicare Advantage. Evernorth is the sister company that runs behavioral health, specialty pharmacy (Express Scripts/Accredo), and care-solutions programs — which matters because a Cigna member's behavioral claims frequently adjudicate under Evernorth rules with a different payer ID.
A large share of Cigna's commercial book is self-funded/ASO, where Cigna administers claims for an employer that holds the risk.
What are Cigna\'s timely filing and appeal deadlines?
Like Aetna, Cigna's in-network commercial filing limit is commonly 90 days — the number that surprises new billers. Out-of-network is typically 180 days, and COB secondary claims often run 90 days from the primary EOB.
| Line | Typical filing | Typical appeal window |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial in-network | 90 days (per contract) | 180 days |
| Commercial out-of-network | 180 days | 180 days |
| Medicare Advantage | 12-month CMS floor | 65 days |
How do you submit to Cigna?
Use CignaforHCP.com for eligibility, claim status, and appeals. Send electronic claims through your clearinghouse to payer ID 62308 for most commercial plans, and route behavioral health to the Evernorth ID shown on the member card. The portal appeal tool timestamps your submission — keep that confirmation.
Watch coordination of benefits carefully; Cigna's short secondary window punishes slow primary posting.
What billing quirks should you watch?
- 90-day commercial filing. Same trap as Aetna — build fast submission around it.
- Evernorth split. Behavioral and specialty-pharmacy claims follow separate rules and IDs even for a Cigna member.
- California 365-day rule. State law can extend filing far beyond 90 days; cite it when appealing a "late" denial.
- COB timing. Secondary claims often key off the primary EOB date.
Compare with Aetna and Humana when setting your denial priorities.
Frequently asked questions
Cigna commonly requires in-network commercial claims within 90 days of the date of service, and out-of-network within 180 days. Coordination-of-benefits secondary claims are often due 90 days from the primary EOB. State law can extend these — California, for example, allows up to 365 days. Confirm the controlling number in your executed agreement before relying on any of them.
Cigna typically allows 180 days from the denial for a commercial appeal, comparable to Aetna and BCBS and far longer than UnitedHealthcare's 65 days. Medicare Advantage appeals follow a shorter window, commonly 65 days. Verify the deadline on the specific remittance advice, as plan and region can shift it.
Cigna's provider portal is CignaforHCP.com, used for eligibility, claim status, and appeal submission. Electronic claims route through your clearinghouse to Cigna payer ID 62308 for most commercial plans. Behavioral health claims often go through Evernorth Behavioral Health with a separate payer ID and policy set, so check the member card before submitting.
Sources & further reading
Reviewed by the ImmediCare Solutions RCM team
Certified billers and coders handling claims across 50+ specialties nationwide. This entry is reviewed against current payer policy and CMS rules. Last review: Jul 5, 2026.
Stop losing revenue to problems like this.
A free billing audit shows exactly where your practice is leaking money — no cost, no commitment.
