Mind-Body Connection
Get information and tools to help you and your patients stay emotionally resilient and foster well-being.
Committed to Whole Person Health
Cigna is committed to helping improve emotional wellness for our members, as well as for the providers we work with. Strong resiliency and emotional health can help providers better accomplish daily tasks and stay balanced for life’s unplanned moments.
We’re here to support you–as providers and as people. The information and resources below are given to complement your patient interactions.
Behavioral Health Resources for Patients
Sometimes, the best advice you can have for your patients–especially when talking about behavioral health–is that they should talk with an expert or specialist in that area. Cigna has a wide range of behavioral health resources that you can direct them to for more information.
| 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 participating 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)1 |
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. |
| 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 |
Reimbursement
Your time is valuable. That’s why we have a Preventive Care Administrative Policy [PDF] that 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.2
Help Your Patients Avoid Surprise Bills
If a patient’s preventive 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, if you do bill for a routine office visit in addition to the preventive visit, help your patients avoid “surprise” bills by informing them that they will most likely incur out-of-pocket expenses for the additional services.
Resilience and Emotional Wellness
Research shows that resilience is closely linked to mental and physical health, stress, anxiety, self-worth, self-esteem, sense of belonging, academic and professional achievement, and several other factors that play a role in whole-person health.
Cigna is here to help you take a well-rounded approach to improving emotional wellness–for yourself and for your patients.
To further our mission of building healthier communities, we commissioned the Cigna Resilience Index, in partnership with Michael Ungar, Ph.D., Professor of Social Work at Dalhousie University and Director of the Resilience Research Centre. Through this work, Cigna has lead the largest study into the state of resilience in America.
From these insights, we have created a new framework to help people G.R.O.W. in the face of challenges and become more resilient:
G – Ground yourself in the situation. Write down your ideal outcome.
R – Recognize what you can control. Commit to one thing you can tackle today.
O – Organize the resources you need. Visit CignaResilience.com to access expert resources.
W – Work with your community for support. Remember that asking for help is a sign of strength.
Learn more about GROW FORTH: A Cigna Approach to Building Greater Resilience at CignaResilience.com.
Screening
Not all patients will be open about how they're feeling–physically and emotionally. They may not even be aware that something is 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 also be used to supplement the screening you may already be doing.
Screening Tools
Managing Stress
Over 84% of the world’s population is stressed.3 As a health care provider, you’re well aware of the impact stress can have on physical health. That’s why the sooner you and your patients can manage stress, the better. Cigna has tools and information that can help you and your patients take control of stress, including a quick online quiz to determine stress levels. It starts with a PLAN.
P – Period of time to unwind
L – Location to destress
A – Activity to enjoy
N – Name of someone to talk to
Sleep Disturbances
The impacts of stress can show in many ways– specifically, as a main contributor of sleep disturbances. It’s important as a health care provider to take action to maintain or improve your sleep so you can be focused while caring for patients.
Loneliness
The loneliness epidemic is increasing–3 in 5 Americans (61%) are lonely in 2019, compared to 54% in 2018.4 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. Chronic loneliness is an ongoing sense of isolation that some people feel, even when they are surrounded by people and seem otherwise happy.
To help assist your patients who may be suffering from loneliness, Cigna created the loneliness hub, which offers innovative, whole-person solutions and resources to help combat the mental health crisis.
America’s State of Mind Report
This Express Scripts Pharmacy® research examines the use of medications to treat 3 of the most common mental health conditions in adults and adolescents: depression, anxiety, and insomnia. The report also provides early insights into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on America’s mental health.
1 Not available to all patients with Cigna coverage.
2 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.
3 Cigna 360° Global Well–Being Survey, 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.
4 Cigna U.S. Loneliness Index, Cigna, Published January 2020