Starbridge/Cigna??

macgrl80 · 04-01-2008, 04:00 PM

For some reason my job says that even though we work 37.5 hours a week (not to mention the past 2 months we have been working 40 hours) we are considered part time. So I missed the deadline last year to get insurance but this year it's coming up again and I am considering getting it. It is Starbridge/Cigna. I have never heard of this before and I was just wondering if anyone else had it. Apparently it's only partial insurance but I am afraid it's not going to cover the doctors visits that I need (I haven't had insurance for almost 2 years). And supposedly if I sign up for it this month I have to keep it for a year but I don't know if that means that if I quit I still have to pay for it. No one in our office really knows anything about it and I have heard it's not a great plan but I was figuring that it would be better than nothing but now I am not so sure...

relka · 04-05-2008, 12:10 AM

companies can pretty much define who is a full-time and part-time. there is no labor law on this matter. as for sigining up for health insurance, do it. even if everything is not covered somethings will be and that will save you some money. check the law in your state on pre-existing conditions. this may exclude youf rom coverage for anything that you have been diagnosed with before you had coverage for a defined period of time.

KatCarney · 04-07-2008, 03:42 PM

If you've previously been without insurance, and now have the opportunity to get 'in', I agree with Relka - do it (espcially if you don't have any other options). It will make it easier to move to a better plan down the line.

jenakarose · 04-07-2008, 04:45 PM

My husband works for a union, and they use Cigna. It is decent insurance. My dd was hospitalized for 8 days last summer, and our part of the bill was 5000. I had a laporoscopy in Nov 06, and between dr, anest, and hospital, our portion was less than 900. GL with the decision.

HRTinAZ · 04-07-2008, 06:52 PM

I agree with the other advice. The only other thing I would add is that usually when they say you have to stay with it for a year they mean that you cannot change or drop it until your companies next designated "open enrollment period." Now with that being said, there are usually life circumstances insurance companies call "qualifying events" that can get you out of the year committment (i.e., loss of job, sickness, husband's loss of job or gain in job that would make you want to switch). Check the fine print on your policy to see for sure.

floridacracker · 04-22-2008, 01:36 PM

Starbridge is just the Adminstrator that's paid to manage the plan. Cigna would be the network for physcians and fee schedule. Which means that you would be able to use a physician or hospital that is on the Cigna network or a contracted provider for Cigna. Every insurance policy has different benefits though, so it's hard to determine what the policy will cover until you get the handbook!!
HTH

c.a.rogers · 04-22-2008, 09:42 PM

It is usually dirt cheap and covers only rock bottom minimum basics. My DH had it.

Carol

laikola · 04-22-2008, 11:47 PM

I currently have Cinga. Check out their website www.cigna.com.

My employer offers different plans through Cigna, and I currently have the smallest...and for me personally it's doing alright.

I'd suggest getting some details from their website.

But overall, I like them.

mloverstreet · 04-24-2008, 08:07 PM

I was on Cigna as a child, teenager, and then college. (I had coverage through my dad.) We had a pretty good plan, but I remember my parents complaining about premiums quite a bit. The last few years, Cigna became a real problem for my parents. Cigna's prescription coverage changed (I think they offered scrips through Caremark) and whenever my parents would submit their scrips through mail-order (for maintenance meds) they would refuse to fill certain scrips or change the dosage amounts because their "on staff doctors and pharmacists" felt a different drug/dosage would be more efficient. They substituted generic cardiac drugs for my mother. The drugs made her so sick that she spent weeks practically living in the bathroom. They wanted my dad to cut his Metformin in half rather than providing the proper dosage. I had a holy sh*t fit over that one. Cutting drugs is the worst idea imaginable! It's impossible to ensure that each half of the pill contains the same amount of active drug. Hello! Basic chemistry!

Whenever my parents would call to complain, they'd get the run around. Their doctors tried to call the company and got the same treatment. My parents finally started paying out of pocket for name brand cardiac drugs that wouldn't irritate my mother's stomach as much as the generics that Caremark shoved at them.

Yeah. It was serious BS. This year, my dad's company switched to BCBS--and it's even worse coverage. Sigh.

That said, Cigna coverage can be good, but you might want to really study the plan you're offered--especially the prescription part.

KimmyC · 04-25-2008, 06:10 PM

OK - Dont get confused here. I work at a hospital and do insurance all day every day for the past 7 years! Cigna is the network but Starbridge is a little company that Cigna writes policy's for. Starbridge insurance is worthless! I guarantee you the Doctors/Hospitals will give you a better discount being uninsured that Starbridge would give you. They normally have very high deductibles and only cover minimal things. Most of the times, the claims that I do for Starbridge get kicked back and the patient gets the bill for the whole thing. Dont take the insurance it is junk...... and please dont get sucked in by them saying that it is Cigna (which is pretty good insurance) The actual insurance company is Starbridge and I promise you they are not worth it!!!!

macgrl80 · 04-25-2008, 06:50 PM

thank you so much. unfortunatetly i already signed up for it but i am going to try and call them and see if i can cancel it. i don't even want the hassle. i should of known that when i went to sign up the prices that they told me over the phone were different from the booklet we received and the prices on the internet were different from the booklet and the rep i spoke too!