Cigna · California · commercial in-network

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

Across 227 procedure codes for 8 specialties
Rate index vs state market
112
12% above the California median
Rank in state
2 of 4
UHC 126 · Cigna 112 · BCBS 96 · Aetna 84
vs own national
100
Cigna's level vs its national median
Codes where highest
34%
of 227 codes
648 sampled providers531 TINs227 codesMedian 167% of Medicare · method

What the data shows

Generated from California and Cigna data only
1

Cigna ranks 2nd of 4 payers in California with a rate index of 112 (100 = the California market median), across 227 procedure codes.

2

Cigna has the highest median for only 34% of codes in California; UnitedHealthcare leads with an index of 126 in the files analyzed.

3

Cigna's California rates sit 0% below its own national level, the 25th highest of its 51 states.

4

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

Rate index: 100 = the state four-payer median for the same codes
PayerIndexRankLevelHighest onProviders
UnitedHealthcare1261
126
58%658
Cigna1122
112
34%648
Blue Cross Blue Shield963
96
6%807
Aetna844
84
2%566

Where Cigna pays most and least against the California market

Codes with the largest gap to the state median

Highest above market

CodeCignaMarketGapProv.
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

CodeCignaMarketGapProv.
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

Index vs the payer's own national median (100 = national)

Highest states

StateIndexProv.
Oregon152
735
Nebraska151
551
South Dakota141
286
Iowa141
604
Georgia136
829

Lowest states

StateIndexProv.
Alabama72
837
Florida75
775
Oklahoma80
748
Delaware82
392
Arizona82
698

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

How these numbers are calculated
  • 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.

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