Cigna Global International Health Insurance Review — from $155/mo

Cigna Global's modular build lets expats buy lean cover from $155/mo. Our verdict on core tiers, outpatient add-ons, evacuation and real claims service.

What Cigna Global cover includes

The most modular IPMI in the market — build your own plan by choosing hospital, outpatient, dental/vision and evacuation modules independently.

Cigna Global is the international individual proposition of the Cigna group — one of the largest US-origin health insurers. Its Global Health Options product is the most modular IPMI plan on the UK IPMI shortlist: rather than a fixed tier ladder, members build their own plan by choosing an International Medical Insurance core (Silver, Gold, Platinum) plus optional modules for International Outpatient, International Medical Evacuation, International Health & Wellbeing, and International Vision & Dental. This flexibility is the product's biggest strength and its biggest risk — well-configured, a Cigna Global plan can be materially cheaper than an equivalent Bupa Global or AXA Global plan; poorly configured, it can leave clients discovering an outpatient or evacuation gap at claim time. PremierPMI's placement work always centres on module selection.

Choose your area of cover — Worldwide, Worldwide excluding USA, or region-specific (Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East). Priced accordingly.

Cigna Global at a glance

• Established: Cigna group founded 1792; Cigna Global IPMI proposition marketed to expats worldwide.
• Head office: Bloomfield, Connecticut USA; Cigna Global service centre in Belgium and Asia-Pacific hubs in Singapore and Hong Kong.
• Regulation: Cigna Global Health Options is marketed by Cigna Life Insurance Company of Europe SA-NV (Belgium) and Cigna Europe Insurance Company SA-NV, regulated by the National Bank of Belgium. UK-resident sales are compliant with FCA passporting arrangements at time of sale.
• Best suited to: Digital-first expats wanting to self-configure cover online; Lean-cover buyers who want hospital-only or hospital + limited outpatient; Globally-mobile professionals in Asia, GCC and Latin America wanting non-UK-underwriter alternative
• Indicative starting premium: $155/mo
• PremierPMI broker rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Corporate group: The Cigna Group — 190m+ customer relationships worldwide
• Individual product: Cigna Global Health Options — Silver / Gold / Platinum core + optional modules
• Annual overall maximum: $1m (Silver) → unlimited (Platinum)
• Modular options: Outpatient · Evacuation · Wellbeing · Dental & Vision · USA
• 24/7 support: Multilingual assistance from Belgium and Asia-Pacific hubs

Cigna Global plan tiers compared

Benefit limits, line by line

Cigna Global hospital access and network

Cigna Global's direct-settlement network is genuinely global — over 1.5m contracted medical providers in 200+ countries, with particular strength in Asia (Bumrungrad, Raffles, Mount Elizabeth, Bangkok Hospital), GCC (American Hospital Dubai, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi), and Latin America. UK direct-settlement access includes HCA and other named-brand London hospitals, though not every UK tier-1 facility is in-network — always verify a specific hospital before treatment.

Emergency medical evacuation is NOT bundled into the core — you must elect the International Medical Evacuation module. Once elected, Cigna Global co-ordinates evacuation to the nearest medically-appropriate facility, uses air ambulance where required, and covers repatriation to home country. An optional Crisis Assistance Plus upgrade adds kidnap, political and natural disaster evacuation.

Underwriting basis

• Full medical underwriting (FMU) via online declaration — most Cigna Global individual applications are decided within days.
• Continuous personal medical exclusions (CPME) available on transfer from a like-for-like IPMI plan subject to agreement.
• Medical history disregarded (MHD) available on larger corporate schemes typically from 25+ members.
• Guaranteed lifetime renewal for individual members once accepted.

Indicative Cigna Global premiums by age

Illustrative desk figures, not quotes — every premium is individually underwritten.

Making a claim

• 1. Contact Cigna Global's 24/7 team — For planned treatment, notify Cigna Global before booking. For emergencies, seek treatment and notify as soon as safe. Cigna's Belgium and Asia-Pacific service hubs cover 24/7.
• 2. Pre-authorisation for inpatient — Cigna Global reviews the treatment plan and issues a Guarantee of Payment to the hospital for in-network facilities — no upfront payment needed.
• 3. Attend treatment — Present your Cigna Global member card. Direct settlement applies at in-network hospitals; out-of-network requires pay-and-reclaim.
• 4. Reimbursement — For outpatient or out-of-network claims, submit invoices via the Cigna Envoy portal or app. Reimbursement typically within 5–10 working days in your currency of choice.

Where Cigna Global stands out

• The most modular IPMI on the market — pay only for the modules you actually need. Well-configured plans can be materially cheaper than equivalent Bupa Global or AXA Global cover.
• Genuinely global service infrastructure — strong Asia-Pacific and Latin America direct-settlement, particularly outside the UK.
• Digital-first purchase and claims experience — Cigna Envoy portal and app are well-rated by members.
• Platinum core has unlimited annual overall maximum — competitive with the top of the Bupa Global / AXA ranges.
• Optional Crisis Assistance Plus adds kidnap and political evacuation cover — genuinely useful for expats in higher-risk jurisdictions.

Watch-outs before you buy

• Evacuation is NOT in the core — many buyers wrongly assume it is. Always elect the evacuation module unless you have separate travel/assistance cover.
• Outpatient is NOT in the core — Silver core with no outpatient module is inpatient-only. Most working-age clients need at least the Standard outpatient module.
• UK tier-1 hospital direct-settlement is narrower than Bupa Global / AXA — verify specific London hospitals before treatment.
• Underwriter is Belgium-regulated (Cigna Europe Insurance / Cigna Life Insurance Company of Europe) — Belgian rather than UK regulatory oversight for the underwriter.

PremierPMI broker desk notes

• For price-sensitive expats wanting genuinely modular cover, Cigna Global Gold core + Standard outpatient + Evacuation module is our common placement — typically 15–25% cheaper than Bupa Global Premier equivalent.
• For Asia-Pacific-based expats, Cigna Global's Asian direct-settlement is best-in-class — worth cross-quoting against Bupa Global and Allianz Care specifically for Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok placements.
• For HNW clients wanting unlimited annual maximum without the Bupa Global/AXA brand premium, Cigna Platinum core + full Prestige outpatient module + full ancillaries competes credibly at the top of the market.
• PremierPMI never places a Cigna Global plan without the evacuation module elected unless the client has confirmed separate 24/7 evacuation cover — the assumption gap here is the single most common IPMI claim-time shock.

Cigna Global compared with other insurers

Broker verdict

Cigna Global is the modular IPMI pick — the right recommendation when a globally-mobile client wants to configure their plan tightly to actual usage, particularly for Asia-Pacific, GCC and Latin America placements where Cigna's direct-settlement network is best-in-class. It's cheaper than Bupa Global / AXA Global when well-configured, and materially riskier when badly configured — advisor placement matters more here than on any other IPMI product.

Best for: Best for modular, digital-first expats and Asia-Pacific placements.

Common questions

What is Cigna Global?

Cigna Global is the international individual IPMI proposition of the Cigna group. Its Global Health Options product is a modular international medical insurance plan built from a core (Silver, Gold, Platinum) plus optional modules for Outpatient, Evacuation, Dental & Vision, Health & Wellbeing, and USA cover. It's marketed to globally-mobile individuals, families and expats worldwide.

How much does Cigna Global cost?

Cigna Global premiums vary by age, region of cover, core tier and every optional module elected. As a broad illustration, single-adult premiums start from around $155/month for a Silver core with no modules and can exceed $500/month for a Platinum core with full outpatient and ancillary modules at older ages. PremierPMI quotes live premiums against your specific age, region and module selection.

Does Cigna Global include evacuation?

No — International Medical Evacuation is a separately-priced optional module, not part of any core tier. If you want emergency medical evacuation cover on your Cigna Global plan (and almost every expat does), you must elect the Evacuation module at application. This is the single most common assumption gap PremierPMI sees on Cigna Global placements.

Does Cigna Global include outpatient?

No — International Outpatient (Standard, Comprehensive or Prestige level) is a separately-priced optional module. The Silver, Gold and Platinum cores are inpatient-focused. If you want cover for outpatient consultations, diagnostics or physio, you must elect an Outpatient module at application. Most working-age expats need at least Standard outpatient.

Who regulates Cigna Global?

Cigna Global Health Options is underwritten by Cigna Life Insurance Company of Europe SA-NV and Cigna Europe Insurance Company SA-NV, both regulated by the National Bank of Belgium. Distribution to UK residents historically operated under FCA passporting arrangements; PremierPMI confirms current regulatory position at placement.

Is Cigna Global cheaper than Bupa Global?

A well-configured Cigna Global plan — typically Gold core + Standard outpatient + Evacuation module — is usually 15–25% cheaper than an equivalently-featured Bupa Global Premier plan. However, an under-configured Cigna Global plan (no evacuation module, no outpatient) can leave a serious cover gap. Cross-shopping both, module-by-module, is the only reliable comparison — which is what PremierPMI does on every placement.

Price basis: Illustrative single-adult monthly premium on the provider's entry international tier, excluding USA cover and optional modules. Premiums vary by age, region of cover, tier and module election.

PremierPMI is a UK private medical insurance broker specialising in whole-of-market placement across 10+ leading UK health insurers including Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality, WPA, Freedom Health, The Exeter, General & Medical and National Friendly. FCA regulated (Tesha Family Ltd, FRN 1029667). Speak to a broker on 020 4525 0884, WhatsApp 020 8064 2273, or email contact@premierpmi.co.uk.