The Body and Mind Connection
Screening tools, reimbursement, and patient resources for the valuable time you spend with your patients talking about behavioral health.
Cigna shares your commitment to whole person health.
You play the central role in caring for your patients’ overall health. In this unique position, you can help to identify and educate patients who may be suffering from loneliness, stress, depression, or substance use about the connection between their body and mind – and how it may be affecting their physical health.
But it starts with a conversation between you and your patients about their behavioral health. This can ultimately help you – as their doctor – to treat them or refer them to the appropriate place when needed. Our job is to ensure you have the tools and resources you need to support these conversations and treatment decisions.
Our tools and resources include:
- Screening tools to identify patients who may be affected by behavioral health issues
- Reimbursement for time spent with patients as they discuss their physical and emotional well-being
- Resources you need to support these conversations and your patients
Our commitment to you
We don’t want to be a barrier to the care you want to give. We want to give you what you need to support the care you want to give.
Identifying behavioral health issues.
Not everyone will be open with their doctor about how they're feeling – physically and emotionally. Or they may not even be aware that something may be wrong. That's why we encourage you to use these nationally published tools that can help you screen your patients for the presence of common behavioral health issues like depression or substance use. These tools can even be used to supplement the screening you may already be doing.
Loneliness
The loneliness epidemic is increasing – three in five Americans (61%) are lonely in 2019, compared to 54% in 2018.1 Despite these significant numbers, it can be difficult to identify patients who are suffering from chronic loneliness, as the symptoms and signs can differ for each person.
That's why we launched an effort to help address the loneliness epidemic and improve Americans' overall mental wellness and vitality. To help assist your patients who may be suffering from loneliness, we created the loneliness hub, which offers innovative, whole-person solutions and resources to help combat the mental health crisis and put America on a healthier path.
Reimbursement for time you spend with patients.
We recognize your time is valuable. That’s why we have a Preventive Care administrative policy, which provides guidance on how to bill preventive care services and screenings as well as the codes that represent these services. For the majority of your patients, these are all covered at 100% with no cost-share.*
*Eligible preventive care services are covered at 100% with no patient cost-share only when performed by a participating provider. Services performed by non-participating providers may not be covered at 100%. Additional services or treatments performed in the same office visits preventive services may incur out-of-pocket costs for your patients when billed separately. Certain codes may only be covered when provided at a separate encounter from the preventive care evaluation and management (E+M) office visit. Please refer to the policy for guidance on appropriate codes for reporting a preventive service.
Eliminating surprises.
If a patient’s preventive diagnostic visit reveals an illness or condition that needs immediate care – including treatment for stress, depression or drug and alcohol dependence – you may bill for a routine office visit in addition to the preventive visit, as appropriate. However, when you do bill for a routine outpatient office visit in addition to the preventive visit, your patients may be unaware that they will most likely incur out–of–pocket expenses for additional services.
Resources for your patients.
Sometimes, the best advice you have for your patients – especially when talking about behavioral health – is that they should talk with an expert or specialist in that area. That’s why we have a wide range of behavioral health resources to help supplement your care and that you can use to refer your patients to.
They're designed to help your patients when they need it the most. Patients can even have a one–on–one conversation with a behavioral specialist through our telehealth service, available 24/7.
Resources
Share with your patients – Patient Flyer on Stress [PDF]
Share with your patients – Patient Flyer on Loneliness [PDF]
| Name of resource | Type of resource | Outline of resource | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cigna Behavioral Health Personal Advocate |
Telephonic |
Call with questions 24/7/365 and get help locating a participating behavioral health provider. |
|
|
Customer service website |
Website |
Check behavioral health coverage and benefit information and search the online directory for participating providers and facilities. |
|
|
Behavioral telehealth |
Telephonic / Video chat |
Access personal, confidential, and convenient video-based services from a licensed participating behavioral health provider. |
myCigna.com or the number of the back of the customer’s Cigna ID card |
|
Network of par behavioral health providers |
In-person |
Search through a full list of our participating behavioral health provider network. |
myCigna.com to search for a participating provider |
|
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)* |
Telephonic, onsite and virtual seminars, consultative services |
Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help cope with concerns, from family and financial issues to substance use, emotional health, and stress. |
myCigna.com and review the coverage page |
|
Managing Stress Toolkit |
Self-service |
Toolkit to help support everyday work/life demands |
|
|
Lifestyle Management Programs |
Telephonic / online |
Access support for stress management, weight management and tobacco cessation |
* Not available to all patients with Cigna coverage.
| Name of resource | Type of resource | Outline of resource | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Cigna public websites |
Website |
Learn about the connection between body and mind – and the role that stress plays. Explore resources and webinars on a range of behavioral health topics |
|
|
Veteran Support Line |
Telephonic |
Call 24/7/365 for a wide range of assistance to veterans and their caregivers and families |
Getting the word out to your patients.
Queen Latifah, Nick Jonas and Ted Danson continue to remind people that the body and mind are connected, as they urge individuals to take control of their health. The message is simple: Talk with your provider about things that may be affecting you physically and emotionally. See how we’re reaching your patients.
Help patients take control of their stress.
Over 84% of the world’s population is stressed.2 As a health care provider, you’re well aware of the impact stress can have on a person’s physical health. That’s why the sooner a person can manage their stress, the better. We have tools and information that can help your patients take control of their stress, including a quick online quiz they can take to determine their level of stress. You can help patients develop their own PLAN to manage stress.
To learn more, visit Cigna.com/mystressplan.
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Cigna U.S. Loneliness Index, Cigna, Published January 2020
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"Cigna 360° Global Well–Being Survey," Cigna, 2019, https://wellbeing.Cigna.com/. Based on Cigna 360° Global Well-Being Survey of 13,200 people across 23 markets: Australia, Benelux, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK and USA.