Cigna negotiated rates in California
How Cigna's California rates compare with the other three national payers, across the procedures that matter most to high-revenue specialties.
Cigna in California at a glance
What the data shows
Cigna ranks 2nd of 4 payers in California with a rate index of 112 (100 = the California market median), across 227 procedure codes.
Cigna has the highest median for only 34% of codes in California; UnitedHealthcare leads with an index of 126 in the files analyzed.
Cigna's California rates sit 0% below its own national level, the 25th highest of its 51 states.
Largest premium over the California market: CPT 99497 (Advncd care plan 30 min) at 186% of market; largest discount: CPT 88305 (Tissue exam by pathologist) at 53%.
How the four payers compare in California
| Payer | Index | Rank | Level | Highest on | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | 126 | 1 | 58% | 658 | |
| Cigna | 112 | 2 | 34% | 648 | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 96 | 3 | 6% | 807 | |
| Aetna | 84 | 4 | 2% | 566 |
Where Cigna pays most and least against the California market
Highest above market
| Code | Cigna | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99497 Advncd care plan 30 min | $217 | $117 | +86% | 49 |
| 51729 Cystometrogram w/vp&up | $931 | $508 | +83% | 78 |
| 51728 Cystometrogram w/vp | $866 | $476 | +82% | 78 |
| 75574 Ct angio hrt w/3d image | $764 | $443 | +72% | 83 |
| 93229 Remote 30 day ecg tech supp | $1,468 | $872 | +68% | 58 |
| 72197 Mri pelvis w/o & w/dye | $1,052 | $641 | +64% | 79 |
| 52356 Cysto/uretero w/lithotripsy | $995 | $607 | +64% | 78 |
| 74183 Mri abd w/o cntr flwd cntr | $1,053 | $643 | +64% | 79 |
Furthest below market
| Code | Cigna | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88305 Tissue exam by pathologist | $53 | $100 | -47% | 143 |
| 88313 Special stains group 2 | $49 | $87 | -44% | 72 |
| 88342 Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb | $58 | $100 | -42% | 73 |
| 88312 Special stains group 1 | $62 | $107 | -42% | 145 |
| 51702 Insert temp bladder cath | $49 | $79 | -38% | 59 |
| 11104 Punch bx skin single lesion | $62 | $96 | -36% | 71 |
| 11102 Tangntl bx skin single les | $50 | $77 | -35% | 71 |
| 52648 Laser surgery of prostate | $1,156 | $1,748 | -34% | 60 |
Where Cigna pays above and below its national level
Frequently asked questions
Does Cigna pay more or less than the other payers in California?
Cigna ranks 2nd of 4 in California with an index of 112. It is highest on 34% of codes.
Are Cigna's California rates above or below its national level?
About 0% below.
Which procedure does Cigna pay most above market in California?
CPT 99497 (Advncd care plan 30 min), at 186% of the California median.
Methodology
- Source: in-network negotiated-rate files published under the federal Transparency in Coverage rule, August 2026 snapshot: UnitedHealthcare Choice plans (74 files); Aetna commercial plans (70 files); Cigna national PPO (1 files); BCBS licensees' own-network files (5,387 files). Payer comparisons describe these files, not each payer's entire book of business.
- Sample: rates come from a random sample of up to 150 providers per state and specialty. Counts on this page are sampled providers and TINs, not totals.
- Which providers count: only providers in a specialty relevant to the code, because a rate in a payer file attaches to a provider group and is listed under every provider in that group.
- Filters: fee-for-service, professional billing class, no modifier, negotiated or fee-schedule dollar rates. Rates outside 1% to 1,000% of the Medicare rate are excluded.
- Statistic: one median rate per provider, then percentiles across providers. A cell is shown only with at least 15 sampled providers and 4 TINs.
- Medicare benchmark: CY2026 national physician fee schedule, non-QPP conversion factor, unadjusted for locality. Where the non-facility rate is more than twice the facility rate (office rates that include device or supply cost), the facility rate is used so comparisons are like for like.
Is your Cigna contract at market in California?
Compare your negotiated rates for these codes with California medians for each payer.