Cigna Global — the one you assemble yourself

Headquarters: United States. Position: Modular international cover — strong core inpatient value, flexibility through optional modules.

Cigna Global approaches international cover from the opposite direction to the full-service heavyweights. Instead of one comprehensive package, it sells a core inpatient plan in three tiers and lets you attach what you need: outpatient care, dental, vision, evacuation. Configured with discipline, that produces precise cover at a controlled price. Configured casually, it produces surprises.

The recurring mistake is the outpatient module — or rather its absence. The core plan covers hospitalisation; it does not cover the GP visit, the specialist consultation, the physiotherapy course or the prescription that make up most of a real year of healthcare. Buyers comparing core-plan prices against full-service quotes are comparing different products. We price Cigna Global with the modules a real life needs, then compare.

Underwriting, age-rated premiums and the USA in-or-out decision follow the standard international pattern. Where Cigna earns its place on a shortlist is configurability: for someone with a clear picture of their needs — or an advisor building around an existing Swiss base — the modular structure buys exactly what is needed and nothing else.

One framing before the detail: international private medical insurance is a different instrument from Swiss health insurance. It is medically underwritten, priced by age and area of cover, and portable across borders — and for most Swiss residents it does not replace mandatory basic insurance (KVG). Where you stand on that map decides whether Cigna Global is even the right category for you. Our Swiss vs international guide covers the decision itself.

Cigna Global's architecture is genuinely modular: you choose a core inpatient tier (three levels with rising annual maximums and benefit depth), then bolt on what your life needs — International Outpatient, International Medical Evacuation, dental, vision. Each module has its own tiers and its own price, and the combinations produce very different products under the same brand name.

The discipline this demands is honest needs analysis before configuration: who in the family sees doctors how often, which therapies recur, what maternity plans exist, where evacuation is realistic. Configured against real needs, Cigna's structure is efficient — you carry no benefits you don't use. Configured against optimism, it leaves the most-used care uncovered. The module list is where we spend most of the consultation time.

Service experience with Cigna Global varies more by region than with the premium bundles — the network and claims operation are established, but turnaround and pre-authorisation friction differ between markets. Clean inpatient claims through network hospitals run smoothly; the friction, where it appears, tends to sit at the module boundaries (inpatient vs outpatient classification) and in reimbursement claims outside the network. Knowing that in advance — and papering treatments correctly — removes most of it.