Cigna negotiated rates in Virginia
How Cigna's Virginia rates compare with the other three national payers, across the procedures that matter most to high-revenue specialties.
Cigna in Virginia at a glance
What the data shows
Cigna ranks 2nd of 4 payers in Virginia with a rate index of 102 (100 = the Virginia market median), across 227 procedure codes.
Cigna has the highest median for only 20% of codes in Virginia; UnitedHealthcare leads with an index of 116 in the files analyzed.
Cigna's Virginia rates sit 6% below its own national level, the 35th highest of its 51 states.
Largest premium over the Virginia market: CPT 72158 (Mri lumbar spine w/o & w/dye) at 172% of market; largest discount: CPT 88342 (Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb) at 72%.
How the four payers compare in Virginia
| Payer | Index | Rank | Level | Highest on | Providers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | 116 | 1 | 64% | 733 | |
| Cigna | 102 | 2 | 20% | 787 | |
| Aetna | 93 | 3 | 12% | 752 | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 87 | 4 | 4% | 813 |
Where Cigna pays most and least against the Virginia market
Highest above market
| Code | Cigna | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72158 Mri lumbar spine w/o & w/dye | $1,010 | $588 | +72% | 108 |
| 74183 Mri abd w/o cntr flwd cntr | $1,077 | $633 | +70% | 108 |
| 70553 Mri brain stem w/o & w/dye | $1,004 | $592 | +70% | 108 |
| 72197 Mri pelvis w/o & w/dye | $1,075 | $641 | +68% | 108 |
| 77080 Dxa bone density axial | $98 | $60 | +62% | 106 |
| 72131 Ct lumbar spine w/o dye | $383 | $241 | +59% | 108 |
| 72125 Ct neck spine w/o dye | $383 | $243 | +58% | 108 |
| 71250 Ct thorax dx c- | $383 | $248 | +54% | 108 |
Furthest below market
| Code | Cigna | Market | Gap | Prov. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88342 Imhchem/imcytchm 1st antb | $50 | $69 | -28% | 86 |
| 88305 Tissue exam by pathologist | $49 | $68 | -27% | 184 |
| 92134 Cptrz oph dx img pst sgm rta | $34 | $43 | -22% | 87 |
| 92012 Intrm oph exam est patient | $50 | $63 | -21% | 90 |
| 76512 Oph us dx b-scan | $42 | $53 | -20% | 90 |
| 92020 Gonioscopy | $20 | $24 | -18% | 90 |
| 67840 Remove eyelid lesion | $164 | $200 | -18% | 90 |
| 92133 Cptrzd oph dx img pst sgm on | $33 | $39 | -15% | 87 |
Where Cigna pays above and below its national level
Frequently asked questions
Does Cigna pay more or less than the other payers in Virginia?
Cigna ranks 2nd of 4 in Virginia with an index of 102. It is highest on 20% of codes.
Are Cigna's Virginia rates above or below its national level?
About 6% below.
Which procedure does Cigna pay most above market in Virginia?
CPT 72158 (Mri lumbar spine w/o & w/dye), at 172% of the Virginia 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 Virginia?
Compare your negotiated rates for these codes with Virginia medians for each payer.