If you have ever handed over your insurance card at a doctor’s office only to face a confused look or a delay at the front desk, you are not alone. Navigating health benefits can feel like learning a second language.
If your ID card displays both Better Health Plan and Cigna, you might be wondering exactly who is managing your care, who pays the bills, and who to call when you have a question.
Here is a straightforward breakdown of how we work together to keep your healthcare smooth and affordable.
The Short Answer: Who Does What?
Your health plan is self-funded. This simply means your employer pays for your medical claims directly, rather than buying a traditional, pre-packaged insurance policy from a giant carrier.
To give you the best experience, you have two specialized partners here:
- The Network (Cigna): Cigna provides the "grid" of doctors, hospitals, and specialists. Because we use the national Cigna PPO network, you get access to discounted network pricing and a massive selection of providers.
- The Administrator (Better Health Plan): We are your Third-Party Administrator (TPA). We are the hands-on team that manages your day-to-day plan. We process your claims, answer your benefit questions, and verify your eligibility. Cigna does not insure, pay, or manage your specific plan.
Why the card says "Not Insured by Cigna": This is standard legal text required on self-funded plans. It simply alerts your doctor's office that Cigna is providing the discount network, but Better Health Plan is handling the money and the paperwork.
Information for Providers: Avoiding the Roadblocks
Because the Cigna logo is visible on the card, busy office staff sometimes automatically try to contact Cigna directly to verify your benefits or send bills. Because Cigna doesn't house your records, their system will show an error, which can cause unnecessary frustration.
To help your provider's office get fast, accurate answers, please ask them to use the processes below:
1. Verifying Patient Eligibility & Benefits
Providers should not contact Cigna or log into the Cigna portal. They will not be able to find the patient in their database. Instead, reach out directly to the Better Health Plan dedicated team:
- By Phone: (866) 881-0676, option 2 (Monday - Friday, 8:30AM - 5:30PM EST)
- By Email: providers@betterhealthplan.com
2. Submitting Medical Claims
All claims must be submitted to Better Health Plan for processing and payment, using the specific routing information on the back of the member's ID card.
- Electronic Claims (EDI): Send to Payer ID #62308
- Paper Claims: Mail to PO Box 188061, Chattanooga, TN 37422-8061
We are here to help
If your provider’s office is running into any roadblocks or has questions about your coverage, please give our Member Services team a call directly at (866) 881-0676, option 1 for members and option 2 for providers. We are more than happy to call your doctor’s office on your behalf to get everything sorted out for you right on the spot.