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Frequently
Asked Questions
We've
addressed some of the most common questions about CIGNA
International Expatriate Benefits below. If your employer has
selected an CIGNA Pharmacy Management prescription or MBA plan, and you have question,
see CIGNA Pharmacy Management® Frequently Asked Questions. Or MBA
Frequently Asked Questions. If you are unsure whether you are
participating in these plans and need further clarification, please
contact our office at : Contact Us
What type of assistance does CIGNA International provide participants in
responding to procedural questions?
Have you changed your name?
What should a member do before being admitted to a hospital within the U.S.?
What is the minimum number of lives you cover?
What should a member do at an emergency room in a foreign location?
Is the CIGNA International card recognized worldwide?
What are CIGNA International's claim reimbursement standards?
Is there a deadline on how quickly an employee must remit a medical bill?
How does a member update his or her family status?
Must claims be converted into English or U.S. dollars for your claim analysts?
What can delay reimbursement?
How can a member set up direct deposit for reimbursement?
Does CIGNA supply claim forms in languages other than English?
What if a claim is lost in the mail?
What if I have a claim with a service date prior to my effective date with
CIGNA International?
What if I am transferring to CIGNA International in the middle of the plan year
and have met my deductible with the prior insurance company?
Why did the doctor or hospital I went to insist I pay the bill myself?
How do I authorize CIGNA International to pay a provider directly?
What type of assistance
does CIGNA International provide participants in responding to procedural
questions?
CIGNA International provides:
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Toll-free telephone and fax service from
anywhere in the world
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24-hour telephone coverage for verification
of benefits
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Ability to reimburse claims in most major
currencies
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Foreign language translation for claims.
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Ability to investigate international claims
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Have you changed your name?
Yes, we've changed our name from
CIGNA International Employee Benefits to CIGNA International Expatriate
Benefits.
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What must a member do before
being admitted to a hospital in the U.S.?
If
a member or covered dependent must be admitted to a hospital within
the U.S. through the emergency room, they must contact us within 24
hours. If a member or a covered dependent plan to be admitted to a
hospital within the U.S. for any reason other than an emergency, they
must contact CIGNA International before the admission to get pre-admission
certification. Benefits may be reduced if these procedures aren't
followed. Please check your plan booklet for specific details.
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What is the minimum number
of lives you cover?
CIGNA International
Expatriate Benefits plans require a minimum of two employee lives.
Customization of group benefit coverage requires a minimum of 10 lives.
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What should a member do
at an emergency room in a foreign location?
Unlike in the U.S., having a medical ID card
does not mean that a foreign hospital does not guarantee admittance
and care. To verify benefits, the doctor or provider should call CIGNA
International toll-free at : Contact Us. Our Service
Center is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Is the CIGNA International
card recognized worldwide?
CIGNA
International has offered expatriates and their dependents coverage
for more than 22 years. So, the CIGNA International card is recognized
worldwide by major hospitals. We cover approximately 130,000 expatriates
and their dependents. We offer wire transfer of funds or direct reimbursement
to the hospital, if necessary.
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What are CIGNA International's
claim reimbursement standards?
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Claims submitted for payment in U.S.
dollars are processed within 10 working days from the date complete
information reaches the claim office, regardless of the language
or currency.
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Claims submitted for payment in local
currency (non-U.S.) take a few days longer due to currency conversion
banking procedures. Minimum foreign currency reimbursement should
be at least $100 United States equivalent. Our system automatically
calculates the currency exchange rate using a standardized, recognized,
and published international currency exchange table, and uses
the incurred date of service to determine the currency conversion
factor.
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Is there a deadline on how
quickly an employee must remit a medical bill?
CIGNA
International will accept claims for up to 18 months from the original
date of service.
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How can a member update
his or her family status?
The member
should contact his or her international benefits representative by
using CIGNA International's Enrollment and Change form within 31 days
of the family status change.
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Must claims be converted
into English or U.S. dollars for your claim analysts?
No, CIGNA International can reimburse claims
received in many languages and currencies.
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What can delay reimbursement?
Submitting a claim in a foreign language or
currency will not delay reimbursement. To minimize other delays, we
recommend that you fax your claim(s) toll-free at :
Contact Us.
Mailing claims may delay receipt a few days. Reimbursement checks
or explanation of benefits may also take a few days to reach your
destination. In addition, CIGNA International needs to determine the
diagnosis and itemized costs before a claim can be processed.
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How can a member set up
direct deposit for reimbursement?
To have us direct deposit reimbursement checks
into your bank account, complete the front of the
CIGNA International claim form . We can
also handle Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to U.S. bank accounts located
in the United States. When we direct deposit claim payments to
a bank account, we forward an Explanation of Benefits to the current address
as confirmation. Please call our International Service Center for
an enrollment application. Call toll-free at 800.441.2668 (AT&T
Access Code +). Or call collect in the U.S. or Canada at 302.797.3100.
Our Service Center is available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.
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Does CIGNA supply claim
forms in languages other than English?
CIGNA
International provides English, Spanish, Portugese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Thai claim forms. For example, if a Spanish claim form would help you in
Latin America, please inform your benefits representative or CIGNA
International. We issue English claim forms as standard. You can also
download these claim forms
online.
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What if a claim is lost
in the mail?
We suggest retaining
copies of expense forms and itemized bills for your records. If you
need to fax a claim and cannot send original receipts, please include
a letter with your fax requesting a claim processing without original
receipts.
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What if I have a claim
with a service date prior to my effective date with CIGNA International?
Claims incurred prior to the effective date
under the CIGNA International plan should be submitted to your prior
insurance carrier.
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What if I am transferring
to CIGNA International in the middle of the plan year and have met
my deductible with the prior insurance company?
Please
include your most recent Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from your previous
insurer and enclose with your first claim submission to receive credit
for deductible/out-of-pocket payments and/or time spent under the
other plan (if applicable).
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Why did the doctor or hospital
I went to insist I pay the bill myself?
For
small charges and expenses, most doctors or hospitals will ask you
to pay the bill yourself using cash or a credit card. We are always
willing to work with a hospital to perform direct billing, but we
cannot control what hospitals are willing to accept. If you are forced
to pay a large bill you can fax the claim receipts and claim form
to CIGNA International, providing complete information including the
diagnosis and itemized charges. Please make sure your original form
is complete and legible (especially for faxed claims) to avoid any
delay in processing.
For larger claims, we are able to pay a provider directly. You should
inform your doctor that you have an insurance plan that can pay directly,
quickly, and in local currency. We can even wire money directly to
their bank account if necessary.
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How do I authorize CIGNA
International to pay a provider directly?
For
CIGNA International to pay a provider directly you must sign the appropriate
section of the claim form authorizing direct reimbursement or you
must write or fax us a letter and provide the reimbursement instructions
and details when the claim is submitted.
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