An older Cigna Preferred Plus Medicare article is not proof that the same plan name, benefits or price apply today. Review the current HealthSpring documents associated with your plan number. The former Cigna Medicare business now operates under the HealthSpring brand.
Separate similar names
Preferred, Preferred Plus and Preferred Savings are not interchangeable labels. Start with the legal plan name, contract and plan identification, county and year. Use HealthSpring's plan documents and Annual Notice of Change, or ask member services to trace an older name to the correct current contract.
What to compare in the documents
| Section | Question |
|---|---|
| Service area and eligibility | Can I enroll at my current address? |
| Provider rules | Which doctors participate and when are referrals or approvals needed? |
| Medical costs | What are premiums, deductibles, service costs and the medical maximum? |
| Part D and other benefits | What is included and what separate restrictions apply? |
If the contract is an HMO
Check the primary care and specialist process carefully. Routine care generally uses the plan's network, subject to specified exceptions and any point-of-service feature. Emergency, urgently needed care and out-of-area dialysis rules do not mean all planned out-of-network care is payable.
For a current member
Read renewal changes before assuming a familiar plan remains the same. Verify the doctors and hospital again and ask how a benefit change affects a scheduled service. An annual notice summarizes changes; the Evidence of Coverage supplies the detailed rules.
For a new applicant
Confirm the allowed enrollment period and effective date before submitting. Consider the full annual budget, not just an advertised premium or the word “Plus.” If your coverage is sponsored by an employer or union, use its group materials and administrator rather than assuming the individual plan is equivalent.
Related coverage questions
- How to Compare Medicare Advantage Plans: A Practical Worksheet
- Medicare HMO and PPO: Networks, Referrals and Costs
- Medicare Annual Open Enrollment: A Practical Review