Cigna MA – New Payment Option through Zelis

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Updates for providers participating with Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage

Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage: New payment option through Zelis
Thank you for your patience as we work to resolve disruption from Change Healthcare’s cyber security incident. As an organization, we are focused on ensuring access to care and medications for our customers and patients, while also ensuring that you have alternative options to transact with us as needed.

 

As you know, Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage uses Change Healthcare to issue electronic funds transfer (EFT), paper check payments, and corresponding electronic remits and explanation of payments (EOPs) to providers. As a result of severing system connections with Change Healthcare, EFT and paper check payments for Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage claims have been held since February 21, 2024.

 

Since that time, we have been working on alternative options to ensure you are paid as soon as possible.

 

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Zelis to issue payments for all claims

We are pleased to share that we have partnered with Zelis to issue payments for all claims submitted to Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage, including any outstanding claims that you previously submitted:

  • To Change Healthcare prior to February 21;
  • To another vendor (e.g., Availity); or
  • Directly to Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage

 

Zelis will also be responsible for issuing payments for any new claims that you submit directly to us or through another vendor.

 

To ensure you get paid as soon as possible, all initial payments issued by Zelis will be sent by paper check, along with the EOP, to the billing address we have on file for you. These payments will begin in the coming days.

 

Receive digital payments instead

  • Zelis has also set up a Zelis ePayment Center, where you can register for electronic funds transfer (EFT) and electronic remittance advice (ERA) services from Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage at no cost to you. Electronic payments will begin as soon as your setup is complete. To enroll, please visit https://cignama.epayment.center/.

 

  • If you haven’t already, you can upgrade to ACH+ through the Zelis Payments Network and streamline your payments and remittances from an additional 450+ payers through a single portal. You can customize your payment and data preferences, including clearinghouse delivery. Virtual cards are also available. To enroll, please contact Zelis at 1.855.496.1571.

 

  • Please note that if you are already part of the Zelis Payments Network and currently receive electronic payments from them, Zelis will transfer you to electronic payments for these claims as soon as possible, and no action is needed by you.

 

Reconnecting our system with Change Healthcare

While UnitedHealth Group has announced potential restoration timelines for Change Healthcare’s systems, Cigna Healthcare has high standards for security from all vendors and will only reestablish connection with Change Healthcare when proper validation of the security of their network has been provided to us, which cannot take place until after Change Healthcare can restore their impacted environment.

 

Therefore, we cannot commit to a specific timeline right now for when Cigna Healthcare’s systems will be reconnected to Change Healthcare. As a result, certain claims submitted to Change Healthcare on (or just prior to) February 21 may not have a payment released until Change Healthcare is back online and we reconnect our systems to them.

 

We also recognize and appreciate that many providers have switched to a new claims clearinghouse and may have already resubmitted claims that were previously submitted to Change Healthcare. Payments received from another clearinghouse will be released by Zelis in accordance with what was described above.

 

Additional information

As a reminder, we encourage you to continue to work through an alternative vendor to submit claims (i.e., 837 transactions) to us while our systems remain severed to Change Healthcare. For a list of alternative vendors to work with, please visit medicareproviders.cigna.com > View Provider Manual (pages 13–15).

 

If you have any questions about Cigna Healthcare’s reaction to the Change Healthcare incident, please contact your Provider Relations Representative or Provider Customer Service at 800.230.6138. If you have any questions about Zelis’ new payment options, please contact them at 833.306.0337.

 

Thank you for the ongoing care you provide our customers.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Provider SOLUTIONS & OPERATIONS