Cigna Dental Coverage and Costs
It’s imperative to pick the proper plan for your needs, and Cigna provides some of the best affordable dental insurance. While the company doesn’t offer plans specific to older adults, the variety of options available to any policyholder makes it an insurance company seniors should take a look at.
The company’s three plans are Preferred Provider Organizations, also known as PPO plans. A PPO allows policyholders to choose a dentist from a large network of providers and is a popular plan option many insurance companies offer, including Aetna and Kaiser.
Cigna has more than 90,000 dentists in over 286,000 locations in its national network, meaning there are most likely provider options for older adults living anywhere in the United States. That being said, it is important to note PPO plans tend to have slightly higher premiums, but you get what you pay for as they provide the most flexible service options.
Each plan offers different benefits when it comes to preventative care, basic restorative care, major restorative care, and orthodontia care. Before I started looking into insurance benefits, I didn’t know which services fell into the different categories. Below is a breakdown of what’s included in preventative, restorative, and orthodontia services.
You Should Know: Cigna offers “Bright Score,” a tool that allows you to compare dental providers and rates dentists on their patient experience and affordability.
Preventative Care
- Oral exams
- Routine cleanings
- Routine x-rays
- Fluoride treatments
- Sealants
- Non-orthodontic space maintainers
Basic Restorative Care
- Fillings
- Non-routine x-rays
- Routine tooth extractions
- Emergency treatment
Major Restorative Care
- Periodontal deep cleaning
- Periodontal maintenance
- Crowns
- Root canal therapy
- Wisdom tooth extraction
- Dentures and partials
- Bridges
Orthodontic Care
- Space maintainers
- Braces
- Specialty dental care and treatments
Now that you have an idea of some of the service benefits, let’s take a look at Cigna’s three different coverage plans and the monthly cost of each plan.
Cigna Dental 1500
Cigna Dental 1500 is the insurance company’s highest level of dental coverage for planned and unplanned care. The plan costs $35 per month, per person and includes the following benefits:
Cigna Dental 1500 Plan
Preventative Care |
Basic Restorative Care |
Major Restorative Care |
Orthodontia |
Deductible |
In-Network:$0; no deductible
Out of Network: You pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 100 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge. |
In-Network: After deductible, you pay 20 percent of the provider’s contracted fee
Out of Network: After deductible, you pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 80 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge |
In-Network: After deductible, you pay 50 percent of the provider’s contracted fee
Out of Network: After deductible, you pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 50 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge |
$1,000 per person individual lifetime maximum
In-Network: After separate lifetime deductible, you pay 50 percent of the provider’s contracted fee
Out of Network: After separate lifetime deductible, you pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 50 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge |
Individual: $50
Family: $150 |
With Cigna 1500, there is no waiting period for preventative services, a six-month waiting period for basic restorative services, and a 12-month waiting period for major restorative and orthodontia services.
Cigna Dental 1000
This is Cigna’s middle of the road plan. It provides the same quality provider network as the more expensive plan but has a lower premium. Cigna Dental 1000 is $30 per month, per person and provides:
Cigna Dental 1000 Plan
Preventative Care |
Basic Restorative Care |
Major Restorative Care |
Orthodontia |
Deductible |
In-Network:$0; no deductible
Out of Network: You pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 100 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge |
In Network: After deductible, you pay 20 percent of the provider’s contracted fee.
Out of Network: After deductible, you pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 80 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge. |
In-Network: After deductible, you pay 50 percent of the provider’s contracted fee.
Out of Network: After deductible, you pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 50 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge. |
In-network discounts available, but not covered by this plan. |
Individual: $50
Family: $150 |
Just like the more expensive plan, with Cigna 1000, there is no waiting period for preventative services, a six-month waiting period for basic restorative services, and a 12-month waiting for major restorative services. The main difference between this plan and Cigna 1500 is the orthodontia coverage.
Cigna Dental Preventative
Cigna Dental Preventative is Cigna’s least expensive coverage for those who just want to maintain dental health. This coverage starts at $19 per month, per person.
Cigna Dental Preventative
Preventative Care |
Basic Restorative Care |
Major Restorative Care |
Orthodontia |
Deductible |
In-Network: $0; no deductible
Out of Network: You pay the difference between the provider’s standard fee and 100 percent of the Maximum Allowable Charge |
Not covered |
Not covered |
Not covered |
Individual: None
Family: None |
Cigna’s preventive plan only covers preventative services, and there is no waiting period for this coverage. For seniors looking for basic coverage, this is an affordable option. But it’s important to remember this plan does not cover common oral needs for seniors such as tooth extractions or dentures.
Keep In Mind: Only Cigna plans that cover restorative procedures cover denture needs, which is a common need for older adults. That being said, those plans cap the amount of coverage provided, which isn’t always enough to cover full denture procedures.