Health & family
Private insurance & Cigna
How Cigna direct billing works in Milan, employer health funds, other international and Italian insurers, and visa cover rules.
Checked November 2026 · rules change, so confirm fees and deadlines on the linked official pages
Cigna and direct billing
- Cigna has no public, fixed list of "verified" Milan hospitals; the network changes. Check each provider in your own Cigna portal before booking: Cigna Envoy (employer plans) or the Cigna Global app (individual plans). Providers that bill Cigna directly carry a "direct settlement may be available" note.
- For planned care, ask Cigna for a guarantee of payment in advance; without it, private hospitals usually ask you to pay first and claim back.
- Large private groups that commonly hold international insurer agreements: Gruppo San Donato (San Raffaele, Galeazzi), Humanitas, MultiMedica. Confirm with the hospital's international patients office and Cigna both.
- Keep every invoice (fattura) and report; claims and Italian tax deductions both need them.
Other ways to get covered
- Employer health funds: many Italian contracts include a fondo sanitario integrativo (for example FASI for managers, Metasalute for metalworkers) that refunds private visits. Ask HR what yours is.
- International expat plans: Cigna Global, Allianz Care, Bupa Global, AXA Global Healthcare and April International. Useful if you travel a lot or want care in several countries.
- Italian private policies: Generali, UniSalute, Allianz Italia, Poste Assicura. Cheaper, Italy-only, often with waiting periods and limits on pre-existing conditions.
- For a visa, the insurance must cover Italy for the whole stay (often at least €30,000) with no excess on emergencies; travel insurance is usually rejected.
- Private visits without insurance are affordable by European standards: about €100–200 for a specialist in Milan. Centro Medico Santagostino is a cheaper private option.