When your patients need behavioral health care, referring them to an Evernorth^® Behavioral Health (Evernorth) Center of Excellence (COE)-designated facility can help ensure they receive high-quality, cost-effective treatment.¹ Facilities can be designated as COEs for inpatient and/or residential (IP/RES) levels of care and/or partial hospital and/or intensive outpatient program (PHP/IOP) levels of care.

How facilities earn a behavioral health COE designation
Annually, Evernorth evaluates quality and cost-efficiency data for in-network facilities that provide IP/RES and/or PHP/IOP for eating disorder, substance use disorder, and mental health treatment, as explained below.

2026 IP/RES evaluation criteria

We assessed facilities that offer IP and/or RES levels of care using the following criteria:

• Seven-day ambulatory follow up: Percentage of patients seen by an in-network behavioral health facility or licensed outpatient provider within seven days of discharge.
• Sustained follow up: Percentage of patients with a minimum of two additional visits with an in-network behavioral health care facility or licensed outpatient provider within 28 days of discharge.
• Readmission rates: Percentage of patients without readmissions within 60 calendar days of discharge.
• Emergency department (ED) admission rate: Percentage of patients without a behavioral admission to an ED within 30 calendar days of discharge.
• Total number of annual admissions: A minimum of: 18 unique treatment episodes for adult mental health; 16 unique treatment episodes for child and adolescent mental health; 13 unique treatment episodes for substance use disorder; and eight unique treatment episodes for eating disorders.
• Total cost per episode: Total dollars paid for services based on regional cost standards, accounting for extreme outliers.

2026 PHP/IOP evaluation criteria

We assessed facilities that offer PHP and/or IOP levels of care using the following criteria:

• Seven-day ambulatory follow up: Percentage of patients seen by an in-network behavioral health care facility or licensed outpatient provider within seven days of discharge.
• Escalation to higher level of care: Percentage of patients without admission to a higher level of care during the episode of care.
• Readmission rates: Percentage of patients without readmissions within 60 calendar days of discharge.
• ED admission rate: Percentage of patients without a behavioral admission to an ED within 30 calendar days of discharge.
• Total number of annual admissions: A minimum of: 14 unique treatment episodes for adult mental health; 11 unique treatment episodes for child and adolescent mental health; 14 unique treatment episodes for substance use disorder; and 12 unique treatment episodes for eating disorders.
• Total cost per episode: Total dollars paid for services based on regional cost standards, accounting for extreme outliers.

Quality metrics – such as follow up rates, readmission rates, and emergency department admissions – are evaluated at the national level to ensure consistency in care standards across all facilities, while cost metrics – like total cost per episode – are assessed at the regional level to account for geographic variations in pricing structures and reimbursement rates.

COE national availability

Nationally, the 2026 COE program includes:

• 243 child and adolescent mental health treatment access points.
• 66 eating disorder treatment access points.
• 484 adult mental health treatment access points.
• 616 substance use disorder treatment access points.

How to locate a COE

To search for treatment centers that meet your patients’ behavioral health needs, call the phone number on the back of their ID card or view our online directories at Cigna.com, where you can search for a behavioral health facility identified with the COE designation.

Your patients with Cigna Healthcare^® coverage can find COE-designated facilities by logging in to myCigna.com, while those with Evernorth coverage can visit well.Evernorth.com.

¹The Evernorth Behavioral Health Centers of Excellence program reflects only a partial assessment of quality and cost-efficiency for select facilities. Therefore, it should not be the sole factor used when you or your patients make decisions about where they should receive care. We encourage individuals to consider all relevant factors, and to speak with their treating provider when selecting a facility.