CIGNA Health and Life Insurance Company Prior Authorization

CIGNA Health and Life Insurance Company publishes service-specific prior authorization guidance. Start with the payer resource below, then confirm the member's plan and the requested service before care is scheduled or submitted.

At a glance

Cigna states that prior authorization/precertification requirements vary by plan and service. Official provider guidance says providers may submit medication prior authorizations through ePA portals such as EviCore by Evernorth, Surescripts, or CoverMyMeds; if ePA cannot be used, Cigna provides a phone number to submit a request. For behavioral health, emergency services do not require precertification, but inpatient admissions resulting from an emergency must be reported within one business day unless state law says otherwise. Cigna also states that missing required information can cause a request to be denied.
Prior authorization requirements are plan- and service-specific.
The official provider pages do not publish a single universal service list in the pages reviewed.
Medication prior authorization workflows may differ from medical prior authorization workflows.

Where to verify prior authorization requirements

How to submit prior authorization requests

Electronic prior authorization (ePA) portals
EviCore by Evernorth
Surescripts
CoverMyMeds
Phone submission when ePA is unavailable
Submission resource 1
Submission resource 2
Submission resource 3

Information commonly required

All required information for the precertification request
Clinical details sufficient for the review
Missing important details may result in denial

Turnaround notes and caveats

Cigna’s general consumer-facing explanation says prior authorization responses are typically issued within 5 to 10 business days after receipt of the request.
Emergency behavioral health services do not require precertification, but emergency inpatient admissions must be reported within one business day unless state mandate requires otherwise.
Prior authorization requirements are plan- and service-specific.
The official provider pages do not publish a single universal service list in the pages reviewed.
Medication prior authorization workflows may differ from medical prior authorization workflows.

Provider resources

Cigna for Health Care Professionals Online Portal (official)
Claims Submission / When to File Claims (official)
Precertifications and Prior Authorizations (official)
Request for Health Care Professional Payment Review (official)
EDI Electronic Claim Submission (official)
Cigna Behavioral Health Claims Submission (official)
Cigna Behavioral Health Getting Paid (official)

Sources

Fact	Value	Source	Confidence
Medication prior authorization portals and phone fallback	Electronic Prior Authorization portals (ePAs) are available; if unable to use ePAs, call 1 (800) 882-4462 to submit a prior authorization request.	Official	high
Required information and denial risk	When you send a precertification request, include all required information; missing important details may cause denial.	Official	high
Behavioral health emergency exception	Emergency behavioral health services do not require precertification, but emergency inpatient admissions must be reported within one business day unless state mandate dictates otherwise.	Official	high
Consumer-facing prior authorization timing	Cigna says prior authorization decisions are typically made within 5-10 business days of receiving the request.	Official	medium

Last reviewed: March 27, 2026

Sources used: 2 official