Yes, Cigna sells individual health insurance to people living in the UK, but what it sells is international private medical insurance, not a UK domestic policy. Its Global Silver, Gold and Platinum plans are open to British citizens living here as well as to expatriates, while the narrower Close Care plan is for expatriates only. If you are a UK resident choosing private cover for yourself, the form on this page brings an FCA-authorised broker to your phone, free of charge, to talk through UK policies.
Who Cigna's individual plans are written for
The Cigna Healthcare website for the UK is run by Cigna European Services (UK) Limited, a company registered in England and Wales. Its own description of the business is international: more than 60 years designing group programmes for employers and governments, and "We also provide health services for globally mobile individuals." Policies for UK residents are insured by the UK branch of a Belgian company, Cigna Europe Insurance Company S.A.-N.V.; that branch holds Prudential Regulation Authority authorisation and is also regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, and Cigna European Services (UK) Limited runs the policies day to day.
The eligibility rule sits in clause 1.1 of the UK policy rules for Global Health Options (document code CEIC UK EN 02/2025): "This policy is only offered to beneficiaries who are British citizens residing in the UK and for expatriates." The same document defines an expatriate as "a beneficiary residing outside of their country of nationality". In practice that covers two groups of UK residents:
- A person with a non-UK nationality living in the UK is an expatriate under that definition and can apply for any of the plans, Close Care included. Cigna's UK page is aimed at international students, mobile workers and retirees moving here.
- A British citizen living in the UK can apply for Silver, Gold or Platinum. The 180-day limit on an expatriate's treatment in their country of nationality does not apply to a UK citizen while habitually resident here, though it would if that person came to count as an expatriate.
Cigna's regional plan, Close Care, covers "Home and Host country only", meaning where you live and where you hold nationality. Its own UK policy rules (document code CEIC UK EN 09/2024) open clause 1.1 with: "This policy is only offered to beneficiaries who are expatriates." A British citizen living here would be looking at the Global plans instead.
What the Cigna plans cover, level by level
These are Cigna's printed limits for the three Global Health Options levels, which it describes as worldwide, and for Close Care. Cigna's UK web page prints these limits in US dollars; its UK product summaries give each one in dollars, euros and pounds (Gold's overall limit, for example, is $2,000,000, €1,600,000 or £1,300,000), so check which currency your own quote uses.
| Plan | Overall annual benefit | Cancer care | Mental and behavioural health | Maternity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | $1,000,000 | Paid in full | Up to $5,000; 30 days a year as an inpatient or day-patient | Not included |
| Gold | $2,000,000 | Paid in full | Up to $10,000; 60 days a year as an inpatient or day-patient | Routine inpatient, up to $7,000, after 12 months on the plan |
| Platinum | Unlimited | Paid in full | Paid in full; 90 days a year as an inpatient or day-patient | Routine inpatient, up to $14,000, after 12 months on the plan |
| Close Care | $500,000, with a $250,000 limit per condition | Paid in full, within the $250,000 condition limit | Up to $3,000; 60 days a year, of which 30 as an inpatient or day-patient | Not included |
Sources: Cigna Global, "International Health Insurance in the UK", read 29 October 2026, and Cigna's UK product summaries (coded CEIC UK EN 02/2025 for Silver, Gold and Platinum and CEIC UK EXP EN 09/2024 for Close Care). The core cover is inpatient and day-patient care. Routine outpatient care, evacuation, wellbeing and vision and dental benefits are optional modules, and Cigna says a policy without a module pays nothing for what that module covers.
Cigna's wording for UK buyers is that the cost "will depend on which you choose", with optional cover and the billing frequency (monthly, quarterly or annual) moving the premium. It prints no pound figure for the UK, and this page gives none, because the ranges used elsewhere on the site describe UK domestic policies, not international ones.
Cigna excess: deductible, cost share and the out-of-pocket maximum
People searching for the Cigna excess are usually looking for what Cigna calls a deductible. Cigna's customer guide defines it: "Deductible - this is the amount you must pay towards your cost of treatment until the deductible for the period of cover is reached." A separate cost share is a percentage you pay once any deductible is used up, and an out-of-pocket maximum caps the cost share. Cigna's own worked example has a $20,000 claim, a 20% cost share and a $2,000 maximum, so the policyholder pays $2,000 and Cigna pays $18,000.
Three details matter. The deductible is not capped by the out-of-pocket maximum, which limits cost-share payments only. All three amounts apply separately to each person and each period of cover. And the UK policy rules allow a change of level, deductible, cost share or out-of-pocket maximum only at renewal, on at least seven days' written notice, and Cigna may first ask for a new medical history questionnaire, as some changes may be subject to medical underwriting. A higher deductible or cost share usually brings the premium down, though the reader's own price comes only from a quote. The page on how excess works on UK policies covers the UK version of the same idea.
Family cover and children on a Cigna policy
The policy rules say the buyer must be 18 or over, and that other people, partners and children included, are "beneficiaries" on the one policy. Adding someone mid-year needs a separate application, and "Acceptance of any new beneficiary is at our sole discretion." A newborn can be added without health information if a parent has held the policy for 12 continuous months and the application arrives within 30 days of the birth; otherwise the baby is medically underwritten. Cigna has no age cap on its plans.
That is the shape of Cigna's international family offer. A UK family looking for domestic cover has different questions: whether children are free with a parent, how the excess applies per person, and what the hospital list includes. The page on family health insurance costs in the UK works through them.
Cigna's international plans or a UK domestic policy
A British citizen living here can buy a Cigna Global plan, but the usual alternative is a UK domestic policy, and it pays to set the two side by side. Four choices shape it, whoever the insurer is: how medical history is handled (full underwriting or moratorium), the excess, the hospital list, and the outpatient limit. Narrower hospital lists, higher excesses and lower outpatient limits generally bring a premium down. The guide to individual medical insurance explains the types of policy from narrowest to fullest, and the page on online quotes for one person covers what a quote form can and cannot price.
A broker can compare UK insurers in one conversation. When you are ready to hear how a policy for one person is built, ask for a free call-back using the page's form.
For the international market beyond Cigna, the page on expat insurance costs and the page on buying international cover online explain the international market.
Cigna in the UK: the questions that come up
Does Cigna offer individual health insurance?
Yes, to individuals and families through its international plans (Silver, Gold, Platinum and Close Care). For people living in the UK, Silver, Gold and Platinum are open to British citizens and expatriates alike, while Close Care takes expatriates only.
How much does Cigna health insurance cost per month?
Cigna publishes no single monthly price. It says the cost depends on the plan level, any optional modules and whether you pay monthly, quarterly or annually. A price for you comes from a quote.
Is dental cover part of Cigna's plans?
Routine dental care is optional on every level, Gold included: the UK product summaries put emergency inpatient dental treatment in the core plan and routine dental in the International Vision and Dental module, with an annual dental limit of $1,250 on Silver, $2,500 on Gold and $5,500 on Platinum. On Close Care the optional dental benefit has a stated annual maximum of $750, with routine treatment refunded at 80%. The core plans are about hospital care, so the NHS stays relevant either way: the policy rules state "This policy does not replace any state health insurance scheme."
What happens if I move back to my home country?
For an expatriate, treatment in the country of nationality is covered only during temporary stays there of no more than 180 days in aggregate per period of cover. If a person stops being an expatriate, the UK policy rules let the policy run to the end of the period or be cancelled; you must tell Cigna at renewal, and it will decide whether another Cigna group company can offer an alternative plan.
Who handles a complaint?
The UK policy rules send a complaint to Cigna first. If it is not resolved, it can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service, whose decision binds Cigna but leaves you free to reject it.
If you are weighing a UK policy against something international, a call-back request through the form gets a broker on the phone to go through your position, starting with where you live and what nationality you hold.