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CignaAll Plans · Administrative · Coding · Dentistry, PsychiatryMedium impact

270/271 eligibility and benefits transactions: Phase 3 enhancement now available

Effective date
Oct 5, 2026
Identified
Oct 6, 2026

Summary

Cigna Healthcare completed Phase 3 of 270/271 eligibility and benefits transaction enhancements on October 5, 2026, enabling providers to submit procedure codes (CPT, HCPCS, ADA CDT) with 270 requests and receive procedure-specific benefit details in 271 responses. This enhancement applies to medical, dental, and behavioral health providers and supports CAQH CORE1 compliance. No mandatory action is required unless your EDI vendor instructs you to update systems or complete testing.

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What to do

Action · 4 steps
01Contact your EDI vendor to determine whether system updates or testing are required for Phase 3 270/271 enhancement implementation.
02If your vendor instructs you to proceed, billing team should: (1) update 270 request submission procedures to include CPT, HCPCS, or ADA CDT codes (limiting each request to 10 or fewer codes); (2) include diagnosis codes in the HI segment and place of service codes in the III segment when applicable to receive the most accurate benefit details; (3) complete any system testing or configuration changes specified by your vendor.
03The updated 270/271 companion guide is available from your EDI vendor.
04No action is needed unless your vendor contacts you with specific implementation instructions.

Original notice

270/271 eligibility and benefits transactions: Phase 3 enhancement now available
providernewsroom.com · Always check the source before changing claims.
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Related changes

See all Cigna changes →
270/271 eligibility and benefits transactions: Phase 3 enhancement now availableMediumEffective Oct 5, 2026 · CodingEnhancements to the 270/271 eligibility and benefits transactions for faster, clearer resultsMediumEffective Apr 24, 2026 · Coverage270/271 eligibility and benefits transactions: Phase 2 enhancement launchedMediumEffective Jun 19, 2026 · CoverageBrowse every Cigna change in the policy list

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