With a contract deadline barreling toward June 30, UC Davis Health and insurer Cigna are still not on the same page, and many Sacramento-area patients could soon pay the price. If talks fail, UC Davis providers would be treated as out-of-network for a range of Cigna plans starting July 1, which could mean patients get reassigned away from their current doctors or hit with sharply higher bills.
UC Davis says in-network status could end July 1
UC Davis Health says its agreement with Cigna expires after June 30 and that, if no new deal is reached, the system "will no longer accept Cigna" beginning July 1. According to UC Davis Health, Cigna has begun mailing reassignment notices to some HMO members and warned PPO patients their costs could jump if UC Davis providers are treated as out-of-network. The Sacramento Business Journal has also reported on the contract dispute and its potential impact on local patients.
How continuity-of-care requests work
Patients with ongoing treatment needs can apply to keep care under a continuity or transition-of-care process that Cigna administers, but approvals are handled case by case and typically require documentation from the treating provider. Cigna maintains a Transition of Care and Continuity of Care request form and guidance for members on its customer forms page. State rules also provide protections for certain HMO members who are mid-course on critical or chronic care; for regulatory guidance see the California Department of Managed Health Care.
It’s not just Sacramento, UC centers across California are negotiating
UC Davis is part of a broader negotiations push by University of California health entities. Other UC medical centers, including UCSF and UCLA, have posted patient advisories saying they could also be treated as out-of-network by Cigna if contracts lapse on July 1, a sign that the dispute has systemwide implications. See advisories from UCSF Health and UCLA Health for plan-by-plan details.
What Sacramento patients should do now
Check any letters from Cigna and the back of your insurance card for the member service number, and contact the plan immediately to confirm whether your primary care physician or specialist is being reassigned or remains in network. If you have ongoing treatment, download and submit Cigna’s Continuity of Care or Transition of Care request form and ask your UC Davis clinician’s office for supporting documentation. If you run into problems, HMO enrollees can contact the state HMO Help Center at the California Department of Managed Health Care, while PPO or other non DMHC plan questions can be raised with the California Department of Insurance.
What to watch next
UC Davis says it remains in talks and prefers a deal that preserves in-network access, but officials have warned patients to prepare for disruption if an agreement is not reached by June 30. For local reporting on the dispute and evolving developments, see coverage by the Sacramento Business Journal and direct updates from UC Davis Health.
