Cigna negotiated rates in Iowa
How Cigna's Iowa rates compare with the other three national payers, across the procedures that matter most to high-revenue specialties.
Cigna in Iowa at a glance
What the data shows
Cigna ranks 2nd of 4 payers in Iowa with a rate index of 117 (100 = the Iowa market median), across 227 procedure codes.
Cigna has the highest median for only 46% of codes in Iowa; UnitedHealthcare leads with an index of 118 in the files analyzed.
Cigna's Iowa rates sit 41% above its own national level, the 4th highest of its 51 states.
Largest premium over the Iowa market: CPT 67840 (Remove eyelid lesion) at 191% of market; largest discount: CPT 93298 (Rem interrog dev eval scrms) at 64%.
How the four payers compare in Iowa
| Payer | Index | Rank | Level | Highest on | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | 118 | 1 | 47% | 605 | |
| Cigna | 117 | 2 | 46% | 604 | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 99 | 3 | 8% | 687 | |
| Aetna | 64 | 4 | 0% | 295 |
Where Cigna pays most and least against the Iowa market
Highest above market
| Code | Cigna | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67840 Remove eyelid lesion | $650 | $340 | +91% | 78 |
| 11301 Shave skin lesion 0.6-1.0 cm | $176 | $107 | +65% | 52 |
| 67028 Injection eye drug | $304 | $185 | +64% | 78 |
| 65855 Trabeculoplasty laser surg | $726 | $443 | +64% | 78 |
| 76512 Oph us dx b-scan | $147 | $90 | +64% | 78 |
| 11302 Shave skin lesion 1.1-2.0 cm | $208 | $130 | +60% | 52 |
| 92020 Gonioscopy | $63 | $40 | +59% | 78 |
| 99202 Office o/p new sf 15 min | $106 | $68 | +56% | 52 |
Furthest below market
| Code | Cigna | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93298 Rem interrog dev eval scrms | $68 | $107 | -36% | 95 |
| 96910 Photchmtx tar&uvb/ptrltm&uvb | $138 | $169 | -18% | 52 |
| 88342 Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb | $203 | $230 | -12% | 52 |
| 92242 Fluorescein&icg angiography | $538 | $597 | -10% | 75 |
| 93297 Rem interrog dev eval icpms | $67 | $73 | -8% | 95 |
| 72148 Mri lumbar spine w/o dye | $414 | $447 | -7% | 146 |
| 72141 Mri neck spine w/o dye | $413 | $445 | -7% | 77 |
| 70551 Mri brain stem w/o dye | $426 | $456 | -7% | 77 |
Where Cigna pays above and below its national level
Frequently asked questions
Does Cigna pay more or less than the other payers in Iowa?
Cigna ranks 2nd of 4 in Iowa with an index of 117. It is highest on 46% of codes.
Are Cigna's Iowa rates above or below its national level?
About 41% above.
Which procedure does Cigna pay most above market in Iowa?
CPT 67840 (Remove eyelid lesion), at 191% of the Iowa 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 Iowa?
Compare your negotiated rates for these codes with Iowa medians for each payer.