Insurance Identification Cards
CIGNA Behavioral Health (CBH) does not produce insurance Identification (ID) cards but partners with the participant’s
medical payer. The ID card provides a wealth of information about the participant and their benefits. It is recommended
that practitioners copy the card, front and back, and keep in the participant’s file for their records. It is recommended
this be done annually as plan offerings and subscriber benefit elections may change.
Cards are typically issued annually on either a calendar or contract year basis. Calendar year, like the name
suggests, begins on January 1st and typically goes through the end of the year. Contract year plans begin at the beginning
of any month and typically span a year. For example, a plan’s ‘begin’ date is April 1st so the plan year would typically end
on March 31st of the following year. The practitioner should be aware of the ‘begin’ coverage date as that will be the date
from which benefits are tallied if the participant has yearly benefit limits. Note, some participants may have yearly and/or
lifetime limits and may be accrued by visit or dollars depending on the plan and/or the options the participant has selected—the
card should provide that information.
Contacting the medical or behavioral carrier
The CBH or behavioral company telephone number is typically found on the back of the
ID card and usually referenced as MH/SA. Most cards have an address indicating where claims should be sent (note, many
times this is the address of the medical payer). Some cards may differentiate between the medical and behavioral so
please check the ID card carefully. If a behavioral address is not listed, call the CBH or behavioral 800 number provided;
a Customer Service Representative can give you the claims mailing address. It is recommended that practitioners review this
information yearly in case there is a change.
Why it’s important to mail claims to the correct address
The correct mailing address can cut the time to payment dramatically, which means
reimbursement for services can be to you sooner. It also decreases the chances the claim will go ‘astray’ if it is mailed
and/or transferred between carriers.
Other useful information about the ID cards
The front of the ID card provides a wealth of useful information such as the type of insurance
the member has (HMO, PPO, EPO, etc.), the coverage effective date, the member's ID number (note, most insurers now use an
Alternative Member Identification [AMI] number to identify the participant), and the participant name. Many cards have a section for
copayments and/or coinsurance. These tell the practitioner, at a glance, what the copayment/coinsurance should be.
Below is a sample of one of the CIGNA HeathCare cards:
