Midlands families face healthcare uncertainty as Cigna, Lexington Health split
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Midlands families insured through Cigna are facing new uncertainty about their healthcare after an announcement that Cigna will no longer cover care at Lexington Health the same way.
Starting Jan. 1, Cigna will no longer have an agreement with Lexington Health and all its doctors. For patients, this means Cigna will soon be considered “out of network,” leading to a possibility of much higher out-of-pocket costs. This change also includes all affiliated physician practices.
Kimberly Shumaker, a Cigna patient, received a letter earlier this month from Lexington Health warning her about changes to her insurance coverage.
“It’s a big deal,” Shumaker said. “I’m actually very frustrated about it.”
Lexington Health said it was unsuccessful in reaching a fair agreement with Cigna. The health system released a statement:
A spokesperson with Cigna said the health system is choosing to leave the network after demanding double-digit rate increases. They also released a statement:
“Options are limited, and I feel like we’re being tied to something that we can’t control,” Shumaker said.
Lexington Health said emergency visits will still be covered. They also said some patients, especially those with ongoing treatments, may qualify for continuity-of-care benefits. This means costs will stay the same for a short time as they look for new providers.
Shumaker says she worries that’s not enough to help higher-risk patients.
“You want somebody that knows your history so they can prescribe the best care,” Shumaker said. “Not having access to the people that you choose is a big problem.”
Lexington Health is telling all patients to contact Cigna directly for more information.
Both Cigna and Lexington Health said they’re still open to negotiating an agreement. Without an agreement, those changes take effect Jan. 1.
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