Cigna Healthcare ASO

Public facts

Carrier ASO

Cigna Healthcare administrative-services-only arrangement for self-funded employers that fund claims and pay Cigna to administer the plan.

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Overview

Cigna Healthcare ASO is a carrier administrative-services-only product. On Cigna’s funding-solutions page, employers pay an administrator to manage the plan while funding claim expenses from their own accounts. ASO is listed separately from Cigna Level Funding and Cigna Healthcare ASO Plus. The published comparison table shows ASO for groups with 200+ eligible employees, optional stop-loss, 100% surplus share in real time, fixed admin fees and stop-loss premium, and variable claims funding.

Why it matters It is the standard Cigna carrier ASO path for larger self-funded groups that want Cigna networks and administration without buying fully insured medical.

Target buyer: Self-funded employers (Cigna table: typically 200+ eligible employees) and brokers placing Cigna-administered self-funded medical.
Pricing model: Administrative fees plus optional stop-loss premium; employer funds claims; No public PEPM schedule. Product availability varies by location, group size, and plan type. The funding table is a comparison aid, not a quote.
Availability: National
Research: Last researched 2026-08-23; Public facts category

Key features

Administrative Services Only (ASO) under an Administrative Service Agreement
Employer funds claims; Cigna administers the plan
Optional stop-loss protection (table: not integrated the way Level Funding is)
100% claims-surplus share, described as real time
ASO Plus listed as a related self-funded option with integrated stop-loss (25–999 eligible employees)
Dedicated ASO team for PPACA/CERF and large-employer reporting questions

Integrations

Cigna Healthcare medical administration
Express Scripts / Evernorth pharmacy when the medical plan is Cigna-administered (Cigna employer-site footnote)
Cigna for Employers online portal

Overview

Cigna Healthcare ASO is The Cigna Group’s administrative-services-only offering for self-funded medical. The public funding-solutions page distinguishes insured products (Fully Insured, Fully Insured Plus) from self-funded products built on an Administrative Service Agreement: Cigna Level Funding, Cigna Healthcare ASO Plus, and Administrative Services Only (ASO).

Under ASO, the employer funds claims and pays Cigna to administer the plan. The published table lists ASO for 200+ eligible employees, optional stop-loss, 100% surplus share in real time, fixed monthly admin fees and stop-loss premium, and a variable claims payment. A footnote says the employer funds all claims and is reimbursed by Cigna for claims above maximum liability.

Cigna Healthcare products are provided by operating subsidiaries of The Cigna Group, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company and Evernorth/Express Scripts affiliates. Availability varies by location and plan type.

This entry covers ASO administration, not Cigna Level Funding (a separate directory product).

Key Capabilities

Claims and plan administration under an Administrative Service Agreement.
Employer retains claims risk (and surplus) as described in the funding table.
Optional stop-loss; ASO Plus and Level Funding are described as having integrated stop-loss.
Cigna for Employers portal for plan and engagement views.
ASO PPACA Fees and Reporting Resources team for Comparative Effectiveness Research Fee (CERF) and large-employer / MEC reporting questions (complimentary educational support; Groom Law Group referral noted).

Cigna’s general employer pages also market clinical programs, cost-containment, and 24/7 support; those are platform capabilities, not a public ASO-only feature checklist.

Integrations & Ecosystem

Pharmacy coverage is described as available with Cigna Healthcare-administered medical plans. Evernorth and Express Scripts are named as Cigna Group operating subsidiaries. A full public list of ASO carve-out PBM, navigation, or point-solution pairings was not on the funding page.

Pricing

ASO pricing is quote-based: administrative fees, optional stop-loss premium, and employer-funded claims. No list PEPM appears on the funding-solutions page. Group-size bands in the table (ASO 200+; ASO Plus and Level Funding 25–999) are eligibility guides, not prices. A footnote says administrative services for self-funded plans can start at 25 full-time employees in most states; product availability still varies.

Notes & Limitations

ASO, ASO Plus, and Level Funding are different rows on the same table; do not treat this page as Level Funding.
State, size, and plan-type availability can change; Cigna tells buyers to confirm with a representative.
Stop-loss attachment points, network names, and ASO fee schedules are not published as list prices.
“National” reflects Cigna’s multi-state employer franchise; the site does not publish a 50-state ASO matrix.

Sources

Tags: TPA · ASO · self-funded · Cigna · stop-loss optional