Reviewed by Russell Noga, Licensed Medicare Insurance Broker (all 50 states) — Last updated September 6, 2026
If you had a Cigna Medicare plan and the name on your paperwork has changed to HealthSpring, nothing has gone wrong. Cigna sold its Medicare business, the buyer renamed it, and your plan came along with the sale.
This page explains what actually happened, what it means for your coverage, what HealthSpring sells now, and what to check before the 2027 plan year starts.
In March 2025, Health Care Service Corporation completed a $3.3 billion acquisition of The Cigna Group’s Medicare businesses. The deal covered four lines: Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Supplemental Benefits, and CareAllies.
HCSC then rebranded what it bought. The Medicare operation that was Cigna Healthcare Medicare now trades as HealthSpring, and 2026 was the first coverage year sold under that name.
This is a sale and a rename, not a shutdown. Cigna did not discontinue its Medicare plans. It sold the business to a different company, and that company put its own name on it. If your carrier had exited the market instead, you would have received a non-renewal notice — that is a different event entirely.
HCSC is not a small buyer. It is the largest customer-owned health insurer in the United States and operates Blue Cross Blue Shield plans across several states. Cigna’s Evernorth division continues providing pharmacy benefit services under the new arrangement, so parts of the machinery behind the plans did not move at all.
A rebrand and a plan change are two different events, and they happen to be landing in the same window. The name on the envelope changed because HCSC bought the business. Your benefits change — or don’t — because of your plan’s annual filing, which has nothing to do with who owns the company. Here is the honest split between the two.
| Item | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| The company name | Changed | Cigna Healthcare Medicare now operates as HealthSpring under HCSC. |
| Who owns the plans | Changed | Health Care Service Corporation, not Cigna. The sale closed in March 2025. |
| Your coverage ending | Not happening | The rebrand by itself does not cancel or discontinue anyone’s plan. |
| Action required from you | None for the name change | A rebrand is not something you enroll in or opt out of. |
| ID cards and plan documents | Check yours | Branding updates roll out over time. Confirm what your current card and mailings say before assuming anything. |
| Your 2027 benefits | Not yet public | Plan details publish October 1 — the same date as every other carrier. |
| Your specific plan’s changes | In your ANOC | The Annual Notice of Change is mailed by September 30 and is separate from the rebrand. |
Do not confuse the two. The name change and your plan’s annual benefit changes are unrelated events that happen to land in the same period. If your premium, copays or drug tiers move next year, that is your plan’s annual filing — not HCSC buying the business. Your ANOC is the document that tells you which of those actually applies to you.
HealthSpring carries the full Medicare product line it inherited, which is wider than Medicare Advantage alone. This matters because the right product depends on whether you are replacing Original Medicare or keeping it.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
What it is: An all-in-one plan that replaces Original Medicare, usually with drug coverage bundled in.
Who it suits: People who want one plan, one card, and extra benefits.
Part D Prescription Drug Plans
What it is: Standalone drug coverage that sits alongside Original Medicare.
Who it suits: People staying on Original Medicare who still need drug coverage.
Medicare Supplement
What it is: Coverage that fills the gaps Original Medicare leaves, such as deductibles and coinsurance.
Who it suits: People who want any doctor who accepts Medicare, and predictable costs.
Supplemental Health
What it is: Cancer and hospital indemnity policies sold separately from Medicare itself.
Who it suits: People who want cash benefits on top of their medical coverage.
Availability varies by county and by product, so not every HealthSpring product is sold everywhere. If Medicare Advantage is what you are shopping for, our page on HealthSpring Medicare Advantage plans for 2027 covers the plan types, costs and star ratings in detail.
If you are still deciding between the two paths rather than picking a carrier, that choice comes first. Our comparison of Medigap vs Medicare Advantage covers how costs, doctor networks and switching rules differ, including the enrollment window that does not come back.
No, and this trips people up. HealthSpring is a brand of Health Care Service Corporation. Cigna still exists and still sells commercial health insurance, dental and other products — it simply no longer runs the Medicare plans it sold. Three things are worth knowing.
1The HealthSpring name is not new. Cigna acquired a company called HealthSpring back in 2012 and used the Cigna-HealthSpring name for years before dropping it. HCSC revived it. If you remember the name from a decade ago, that is why.
2Cigna is still involved, indirectly. Cigna’s Evernorth division continues providing pharmacy benefit management services to the plans. So the Cigna name may still appear in some drug-related paperwork even though Cigna no longer owns the plan.
3HCSC is a Blue Cross operator. It runs Blue Cross Blue Shield plans in several states, which means HealthSpring sits inside one of the larger not-for-profit insurance groups in the country rather than a start-up.
The rebrand is settled. What is not settled is what your specific plan looks like next year, and that has nothing to do with the name change. Four things are worth your attention.
1Your Annual Notice of Change. Mailed by September 30, 2026. It states in plain terms what is changing about your plan for 2027, including whether it is being discontinued. It is the single most useful document you will get all year.
2Whether your doctors are still in network. Ownership changes can eventually affect provider contracting. Check your own doctors and your hospital against the 2027 directory rather than assuming continuity.
3Your medications on the 2027 formulary. Drug lists are rebuilt every year regardless of who owns the plan. A medication covered cheaply this year can move tiers or drop off entirely.
4The wider 2027 picture. Several carriers are reducing their plan footprints next year. Our guide to which Medicare Advantage plans are going away in 2027 covers what has been announced across the industry.
Federally, some things are already confirmed for 2027 and apply to every plan regardless of carrier: the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400, the maximum Part D deductible is $700, and the Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket maximum can reach $9,850 in network or $14,800 combined.
If you are a current member, the sequence is simple. Work through it in order.
1Open your Annual Notice of Change. It arrives by September 30, 2026. Do not bin it — it is the only document that tells you what is changing on your specific plan.
2Wait for October 1. Full plan data for every 2027 plan publishes that day. Anything quoted before then is an estimate, not a rate.
3Compare on the things that cost you money. Your doctors, your hospital, your prescriptions and the out-of-pocket maximum — in that order, before the premium.
4Act during Annual Enrollment. October 15 through December 7, 2026, for coverage beginning January 1, 2027. Waiting until the last week narrows your options.
If you are shopping rather than renewing, HealthSpring is one option among many and should be compared on the same terms as any other carrier. Our 2027 carrier comparison covers how the majors stack up, the guide to top rated Medicare Advantage plans lists every contract that reached five stars, and our 2027 Medicare Advantage overview covers the wider picture.
Cigna sold its Medicare business. In March 2025, Health Care Service Corporation completed a $3.3 billion acquisition of The Cigna Group’s Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, Supplemental Benefits and CareAllies operations. HCSC then rebranded what it bought as HealthSpring, and 2026 was the first coverage year sold under that name. The plans were not discontinued — they changed hands and changed names.
No. HealthSpring is a brand of Health Care Service Corporation, a different company. Cigna still exists and still sells commercial health insurance and other products, but it no longer owns or runs the Medicare plans it sold. Cigna’s Evernorth division does continue providing pharmacy benefit services to those plans, which is why the Cigna name may still appear on some drug-related paperwork.
Not because of the name change itself. A rebrand is not something you enroll in or opt out of, and it does not cancel your coverage. What you should do is unrelated to the rename: open your Annual Notice of Change when it arrives by September 30, 2026, because that document tells you what is actually changing about your plan for 2027.
Health Care Service Corporation, the largest customer-owned health insurer in the United States. HCSC operates Blue Cross Blue Shield plans across several states, so HealthSpring sits inside one of the larger not-for-profit insurance groups in the country rather than a new or standalone company.
Four product lines: Medicare Advantage plans, standalone Part D prescription drug plans, Medicare Supplement coverage, and supplemental health policies such as cancer and hospital indemnity. Which one suits you depends mainly on whether you want to replace Original Medicare or keep it and fill its gaps. Availability varies by county and by product, so not everything is sold everywhere.
Possibly, but not because of the rebrand. Every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan is rebuilt each year regardless of ownership — premiums, networks, formularies and extra benefits can all shift. Your Annual Notice of Change, mailed by September 30, 2026, states exactly what is changing on your plan. Full plan data for every 2027 plan publishes October 1, 2026.
Because it existed before. Cigna acquired a company called HealthSpring in 2012 and used the Cigna-HealthSpring name for several years before phasing it out. When HCSC bought the business it revived the HealthSpring name for the new operation. If you remember seeing it a decade ago on your plan documents, that is why.
Check rather than assume. The rebrand itself did not change provider networks, but ownership changes can eventually affect contracting, and networks are renegotiated annually anyway. Look up your own doctors and your preferred hospital against the 2027 directory for the specific plan you hold or are considering, and confirm with the practice directly, since directories are not always current.
Branding updates roll out over time rather than all at once, so what your card says depends on when it was issued and which plan you hold. Check the card you are currently carrying and, if you are unsure whether a provider will recognise it, call the member services number printed on it before your appointment rather than after.
Yes. Annual Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, for coverage beginning January 1, 2027, and you can move to any plan available in your county. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31, 2027 gives you one further change. A rebrand does not by itself create a Special Enrollment Period.
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Russell Noga is the founder of CompareMedicareAdvantage.org, and is a Medicare insurance broker licensed in all 50 states. He works with other licensed insurance agents and partners to keep plan information accurate and current for the 2027 Medicare Advantage enrollment season and beyond.