Aetna vs. Cigna Healthcare
- Aetna and Cigna Healthcare are among the most well-known health Medicare insurance companies in the U.S. Our review will help you compare Aetna and Cigna Medicare plans, including what they can cover.
There are many different health insurance companies from which to choose, and each has their own pros and cons. Two of the largest and most popular insurers are Aetna and Cigna Healthcare, and in this review, we’ll break down a comparison of these two companies.
Aetna
Aetna offers a larger variety of Medicare health plans and other types of health insurance plans in more states than Cigna Healthcare.1 Depending on where you live, you may only have access to Aetna plans and not to any plans offered by Cigna Healthcare.
Cigna Healthcare
While Cigna Healthcare and Aetna are both respected insurance companies, Aetna has a higher rate of Medicare Advantage plan members enrolled in plans rated 4 stars or higher by Medicare.
67% of Cigna Healthcare Medicare Advantage plan members were enrolled in a plan rated 4 stars or higher by CMS in 2024.
In 2025, 88% of Aetna Medicare Advantage members are part of a plan rated 4 stars or higher.
Every year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) evaluates plans using a 5-star rating system. These star ratings can change each year, and individual plan star ratings may vary depending on where you live.
Aetna vs. Cigna Healthcare: Insurance Products Offered
The product lineups of both Aetna and Cigna Healthcare cover many of the basics when it comes to health insurance. Both companies offer:
- Individual and group health insurance
- Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C)
- Medicare Part D prescription drug plans
- Medicare Supplement Insurance
- Standalone dental and vision plans
- Disability insurance
- Life insurance
One area where the product lineups for these two companies differ is with short-term care insurance: Aetna offers short-term care coverage while Cigna Healthcare does not.
Plan Access
The availability of Aetna and Cigna Healthcare insurance products varies slightly, with the biggest difference being in traditional health insurance and Medicare Advantage plans.
- 12% of all Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) enrollees in 2024 were members of a plan from Aetna (which is a CVS Health company).
- 2% of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries were part of a Cigna Healthcare plan in 2024.
Both Aetna and Cigna Healthcare sell Medicare Part D plans and Medicare Supplement Insurance plans (also called Medigap) in most all states, along with other insurance products.
Provider Access
Aetna provider reach is bolstered by its merger with CVS Health, which can make it easier for Aetna plan members to fill a prescription at a pharmacy they prefer.
Cigna Healthcare is contracted with over 2 million healthcare providers and facilities in the U.S.
Financial Strength Ratings
Both Aetna and Cigna Healthcare maintain strong financial rankings from the top credit rating agencies.
| Aetna (CVS Health) | Credit Rating Agency | Cigna Healthcare |
|---|---|---|
| Baa2 |
Moody's |
A |
| BBB |
Standard's and Poor's |
A2 |
Customer Experience
Today’s Medicare beneficiaries value ease of use and mobile support, and both Aetna and Cigna Healthcare have heeded that call.
Aetna and Cigna Healthcare both feature online portals where members can log in to find a doctor, pay a premium, check on a claim, view their coverage and more. Both companies even offer mobile apps available for both Apple and Android users:
The Verdict
Both Aetna and Cigna Healthcare are popular and well-known insurance companies. Each company offers a diverse lineup of insurance products that are accepted by a large number of health care providers and a contemporary customer experience.
The Aetna coverage footprint is a little larger, with medical insurance and Medicare Advantage plans available in more states than Cigna Healthcare.
While both companies maintain strong financial ratings, Aetna Medicare plans fare a little better in terms of quality, based on recent Medicare Star Ratings.
Overall, each carrier could potentially offer plans that are a good fit for different types of people, depending on a number of factors like location, health conditions and Medicaid eligibility.
Compare these brands against other carriers like UnitedHealthcare vs Humana, Cigna Healthcare vs Humana Medicare Advantage or UnitedHealthcare vs Aetna.
Helpadvisor.com is owned and operated by Tranzact, the parent company of TZ Insurance Solutions LLC, which is the owner/operator of Medicareadvantage.com and other websites mentioned on HelpAdvisor and which has a financial relationship with some of the carriers listed on HelpAdvisor. This may influence which products we write about, but HelpAdvisor maintains editorial independence, and our opinions and evaluations are our own.
HelpAdvisor Editorial Team analysis of data from the 2025 MA Landscape Source Files and carrier-provided plan data supplied by SunFire, Inc., a private company that creates software solutions for agents and brokers to compare Medicare plans. For more information, visit www.sunfireinc.com.
