Cigna has announced a new shared network agreement with Principal, effective August 1, 2026.
If you are currently a Cigna provider, you may have received more than one notice about new shared network agreements. Two Cigna shared network announcements were released on the same day: one involving Guardian and one involving Principal.
Because the notices came out at the same time, it may be easy to skim one and assume you have already reviewed the other. They are separate agreements. This article focuses only on the new Cigna-Principal shared network agreement.
What the Agreement Means
If your office has a direct contract with Cigna and is currently out of network with Principal, this new agreement could allow Principal to add your office as in network through your Cigna fees.
In other words, Principal may be able to access your office through Cigna’s fee schedule.
If you are comfortable being added as in network with Principal through Cigna, no action is needed. You can allow the agreement to go into effect.
If you want to stay out of network with Principal and do not want Principal to access your Cigna fees, you need to opt out.
Automatic Enrollment
Cigna providers are automatically opted into these shared network agreements when they are announced.
That means the default is participation. If you do not want to participate in the Cigna-Principal arrangement, you need to send Cigna a notification stating that you want to opt out.
To opt out, email Cigna at:
ProviderServiceUnitDental@cigna.com
Once the opt-out is processed, Principal would remain out of network for your office instead of being added through the Cigna agreement.
If You Have a Direct Cigna Contract and Are Out of Network With Principal
This is the main group affected by the announcement.
If your office has a direct Cigna contract and is currently out of network with Principal, Principal could be added as an in-network plan through your Cigna fees.
If you are okay being pulled in network with Principal through Cigna, you do not need to do anything.
If you want to remain out of network with Principal, you need to opt out by emailing Cigna and stating that you do not want to participate in the Cigna-Principal shared network agreement.
If You Have Direct Contracts With Both Cigna and Principal
If your office already has a direct contract with Cigna and a direct contract with Principal, this announcement should not change how your claims are paid.
The direct contracts with both companies should override the shared network agreement.
In that case:
Principal patients should continue to pay under the Principal fee schedule.
Cigna patients should continue to pay under the Cigna fee schedule.
No action is needed.
No changes should be made.
For offices with both direct contracts in place, the shared network agreement can generally be disregarded.
If You Have Cigna Directly and Principal Through Another Shared Network
Some offices are already in network with Principal, but not through a direct Principal contract.
For example, Principal may currently be accessing your office through another shared network agreement, such as Ameritas, Aetna, Connection Dental, Zelis, or another network arrangement.
If that is your situation, you should pay closer attention.
Principal may currently be paying through a pathway that is higher than your Cigna fee schedule. When the new Cigna-Principal agreement goes into place, Principal could choose to move from that current pathway to your lower Cigna fees.
That would create a reimbursement downgrade.
If your Cigna fees are higher than what Principal is currently paying, this may not be a concern. But if your Cigna fees are lower than your current Principal reimbursement, you may want to consider opting out of the Cigna shared network agreement to prevent Principal from dropping from your current fees down to the Cigna fees.
Cigna’s Opt-Out Is Global
One important point from the announcement is that Cigna’s opt-out is global.
It is all or nothing.
If you opt out of Cigna’s shared network agreement, you are not opting out only for Principal. You are opting out of Cigna’s shared network agreements in their entirety.
That includes any company Cigna currently has a shared network agreement with, as well as any companies Cigna may add in the future.
Your office is either opted into Cigna’s shared network arrangements by default, or you are opting out of the shared network program as a whole.
How to Decide What to Do
The right decision depends on your office’s current network setup and fee schedules.
If you have a direct Cigna contract and are out of network with Principal, decide whether you are comfortable being added as in network with Principal through Cigna. If yes, no action is needed. If no, send an opt-out notice.
If you have direct contracts with both Cigna and Principal, the direct contracts should override the shared network agreement, and no action should be needed.
If you are already in network with Principal through another shared network agreement, compare your current Principal reimbursement to your Cigna fees. If your current Principal path pays better than Cigna, opting out may help prevent a downgrade.
Key Takeaway
The Cigna-Principal shared network agreement takes effect August 1, 2026.
If your office has a direct Cigna contract and is out of network with Principal, Principal may be added as in network through your Cigna fees unless you opt out.
If you want to stay out of network with Principal, or if Principal currently reaches your office through a higher-paying shared network path, review your Cigna fees before the agreement goes into effect.
Cigna’s opt-out is global, so opting out of the Principal arrangement means opting out of Cigna’s shared network agreements as a whole.
