Cigna to exit Arizona's Maricopa County after Centene entry

Health insurer Cigna — previously the only participating Affordable Care Act exchange insurer in Arizona's Maricopa County — will pull back its footprint after another payer, Centene, requested to enter the market.

St. Louis-based Centene filed requests Wednesday with the Arizona Department of Insurance and CMS to offer health plans on Arizona's exchange in the state's most populous counties, Maricopa and Pima. The following day, Bloomfield, Conn.-based Cigna said it will no longer offer plans on the exchange. However, Cigna said it will open its physician network to Centene policyholders.

Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) released a statement saying Cigna's announcement "only adds to the uncertainty Arizonans are facing when it comes to their healthcare," and "there is no guarantee that Arizonans will be able to keep their current plans or physicians or obtain similar plans at the same rates."

In a statement to Becker's Hospital Review, Cigna said while it "will not be offering health plans on the 2017 Arizona public marketplace exchange, we will be serving customers through our Cigna Medical Group physicians and facilities through Centene."

Plans will be available for open enrollment Nov. 1 and will become effective Jan. 1.   

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Cigna grants $2M to nonprofit partners to navigate community healthcare

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