Cigna Global Health Insurance

A clear, plain-English breakdown of Cigna Global Health Options — the plans, what's covered, how chronic conditions and underwriting work, and who it suits.

Cigna Global Health Options (CGHO) is Cigna's international private medical insurance for expatriates. It's modular: you start from an inpatient core and build the cover level and add-ons you actually want, then choose how much risk to share to control the premium. Cigna Close Care is a lower-cost, narrower-area option for people who mainly need cover where they live.

Plans & cover levels

There are three core tiers plus Close Care. The headline difference is the annual overall benefit maximum (the most the plan pays per person, per year):

*Platinum is shown as paid in full, subject to the annual overall benefit maximum in the plan documentation. The period of cover runs in 3–12 month terms and is renewable.

What's covered

Inpatient hospital treatment is the core of every plan. From there you add the modules that matter to you:

• Inpatient & day-patient — hospital stays, surgery, cancer care (always included).
• Outpatient — GP and specialist consultations, diagnostics, prescriptions (by tier/module).
• International Health & Wellbeing — optional module (screening and wellness benefits).
• International Evacuation & Crisis Assistance Plus — optional module for medical evacuation and crisis support.

Cost controls — how to lower the premium

Cigna lets you dial the premium with three levers, which is genuinely useful if you're trying to fit a plan to a budget:

• Deductible — an amount you pay before the plan starts paying (options depend on your currency).
• Cost share — you cover a percentage of costs after the deductible: 0%, 10%, 20% or 30%. A higher share means a lower premium.
• Out-of-pocket maximum — a cap on what your cost share can add up to in a year, so your downside is limited.

Combining a sensible deductible and cost share with an out-of-pocket cap is often how people get a Gold-level plan for close to a Silver-level price.

Chronic condition support

Where Cigna stands out is ongoing condition management. Its Chronic Condition Management programme is led by specialist nurses and supports members living with conditions such as pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure, musculoskeletal pain and arthritis — proactive support to manage the condition, not just pay claims after the fact.

How an existing condition is covered when you join is a separate question — that comes down to underwriting, below.

Underwriting & pre-existing conditions

"Underwriting" is simply how the insurer decides what to cover given your medical history. It's the part buyers find most confusing, so here's the plain-English version of the terms you'll see across the market:

FMU — Full Medical Underwriting

You declare your history when you apply. The insurer reviews it and tells you upfront exactly what's covered, excluded or charged extra — so you have certainty from day one.

Moratorium (Mori)

You don't declare your history upfront. Conditions you had or were treated for in a recent look-back period are excluded — and can become covered once you've gone a continuous stretch (commonly two years) symptom- and treatment-free.

CPME — Continued Personal Medical Exclusions

When switching insurer, your existing personal exclusions are carried across as-is — no fresh underwriting of new conditions, but the exclusions you already had continue.

CTT — Continued / Transfer Terms

Moving from a previous plan onto broadly equivalent terms, often without re-underwriting, so you don't lose cover for conditions that were already accepted.

For Cigna specifically, a few things from the policy rules are worth knowing:

• You must disclose any change in health between applying and your start date — Cigna can then adjust terms, add premium or exclusions, or decline.
• Applications must be accurate and complete; deliberately false information can void the policy.
• Newborns can be added without medical underwriting — and without a waiting period or congenital exclusion — if at least one parent has been continuously covered for 12+ months before the birth and you apply within 30 days. Outside that, the baby is medically underwritten.
• There's a 14-day free-look: cancel within 14 days for a full refund, provided no claim has been paid and no guarantee of payment issued.

Direct billing & using your cover

• Direct billing: in-network outpatient doctor visits can often be billed directly, so you're not out of pocket. You present your Cigna Healthcare ID card at the facility.
• Finding providers: the Provider Search tool in Cigna's online Customer Area lets you find in-network hospitals, clinics and specialists by location and speciality.
• Prior authorisation: most outpatient treatment doesn't need pre-approval. Exceptions include genetic testing, infertility treatment, physio/chiro/osteo beyond 10 sessions, and prescribed drugs beyond 3 months.
• Emergencies abroad: get treatment immediately (don't wait for authorisation), show your ID card to enable direct billing, then contact Cigna's customer care.

Who Cigna Global suits

A strong fit if you want flexible cover levels, granular control over the premium (deductible + cost share + OOP cap), and proactive chronic-condition support — and you value Cigna's large international network and direct billing.

Worth comparing alternatives if you only need cover where you live (Close Care or a regional plan may be cheaper), you're highly price-driven at the entry level, or you want a different underwriting basis. That's exactly what comparing the market shows you — Cigna alongside the rest, on price and terms.

Frequently asked questions

This page is general information, not personal or medical advice, and is based on Cigna Global Health Options plan documentation — exact terms, limits and underwriting are confirmed by the insurer at quote. Prices are indicative. Cigna and the Cigna logo are trademarks of the Cigna group of companies.