Ambetter vs. Cigna health insurance

Cigna is leaving the ACA Marketplace in 2027

Cigna announced in 2026 that it will exit the individual and family health insurance market at the end of the year. KFF’s tracker of 2027 insurer changes, published October 7, 2026, lists Cigna as leaving all 11 states where it participates, affecting more than 350,000 on-exchange members. Cigna said the business is small for the company and shrinking, and that it wants to focus on its core growth areas such as employer coverage and its Evernorth pharmacy and care services.

What this means in practice:

• Cigna Marketplace plans stay in force through December 31, 2026, with no change to coverage or networks before then.
• Members have to pick a new plan during open enrollment, which runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov. Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1.
• If you don’t pick a plan, the Marketplace may move you into a similar plan from another insurer. Check that plan’s network rather than accepting it by default.
• Cigna coverage through an employer is not part of this exit.

Because a Cigna Marketplace plan can’t be bought for 2027, the useful question for most readers is whether Ambetter is a good replacement where they live.

Where each insurer sells plans

Ambetter sold Marketplace plans in 29 states in 2026, according to its site, and Centene reported 3,494,700 Marketplace members on June 30, 2026, down from 5,862,800 a year earlier after enhanced premium tax credits expired. For 2027 it is leaving New Hampshire, where New Hampshire Public Radio reported about 11,600 members will need new coverage. Ambetter is the Marketplace brand of Centene’s state plans, so the company name on your card often includes a local name, such as Ambetter from Buckeye Health Plan in Ohio.

Cigna sold Marketplace plans in 2026 in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Every one of those states loses Cigna’s individual plans for 2027.

In the 11 Cigna states, Ambetter is often one of the alternatives, but not in every county. Enter your ZIP code on HealthCare.gov or your state exchange to see which insurers actually sell in your area for 2027. Networks for both companies are local and can be narrow, so the plan list for your county matters more than any national comparison.

Cost: what you'll actually pay

Neither insurer publishes a national average premium, and any single number would mislead. Marketplace prices depend on your ZIP code, age, household size, tobacco use and the metal level you pick, and most enrollees pay less than the sticker price because of income-based premium tax credits.

A few rules apply to both companies because they come from the ACA:

• Plans come in Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers. Bronze has the lowest premium and highest costs when you get care; Gold is the reverse.
• Cost-sharing reductions that lower deductibles are only available on Silver plans, for people under certain income levels.
• All plans cover the ACA’s essential health benefits and can’t deny you or charge more for preexisting conditions.

Premium tax credits shrank for 2026 after the enhanced subsidies expired, which is a large part of why both insurers lost members. Compare the net premium after credits, plus the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, for the specific plans offered in your county. A cheap Ambetter Bronze plan with a narrow network can cost more over a year than a Silver plan from another insurer if you see specialists regularly.

Claims, networks and complaints

KFF’s analysis of HealthCare.gov insurer data put Centene’s in-network claim denial rate at 14% in 2023, the lowest among the large parent companies it compared, against an 18% average for that group. Cigna Health denied 21% of in-network claims in the same table, above that average.

Both companies have faced lawsuits over how they handle care:

• Ambetter: a federal class action filed in 2022 alleges Centene’s provider directories listed doctors who were not actually in network, sometimes called a ghost network. ProPublica has also reported on an Arizona case involving Ambetter’s mental health directory.
• Cigna: a federal class action filed in California in 2023, following reporting by ProPublica and The Capitol Forum, alleges Cigna used a system called PxDx to deny claims in batches without individual physician review.

Customer reviews of Ambetter are poor: its Trustpilot profile shows 1.2 out of 5 from 320 reviews. BBB ratings for Ambetter vary by state plan. The practical step for anyone choosing Ambetter is to call each of your doctors and confirm they take the specific Ambetter plan, not just Ambetter in general.

Switching from Cigna to Ambetter

If you have a Cigna Marketplace plan now, here is how to move for 2027:

• List what you need covered. Write down your doctors, any hospital you’d want to use, and your prescriptions with doses.
• Shop during open enrollment. It opens November 1, 2026. Log in to HealthCare.gov or your state exchange and update your income estimate so your tax credit is right.
• Check networks and formularies plan by plan. Use Ambetter’s provider search and drug list for the exact plan name, then confirm with the doctor’s office by phone.
• Compare total yearly cost. Add the net premium for 12 months to the deductible you’d realistically hit.
• Enroll by December 15 for coverage starting January 1, 2027.

Money you paid toward a 2026 Cigna deductible does not carry over to a new insurer in 2027, but deductibles reset every January anyway, so the timing of the exit doesn’t cost you on that front.