April 2026

In case you missed them, here is a recap of and links to all of the behavioral health articles that were published in the Provider Newsroom in April.

How women’s unique health needs impact mental health

(April 30, 2026) Each year, 1 in 5 women in the United States experiences a mental health issue. Mental health is a matter of mind and body — particularly for female patients, whose unique biological factors can impact both physical and mental health. Reproductive health and accompanying hormonal changes, women-specific health conditions, and unique lifestyle risk factors can affect a woman’s mental and emotional health.

Enhancements to the 270/271 eligibility and benefits transactions to give faster and clearer results

(April 24, 2026) Starting April 24, 2026, medical, dental, and behavioral health providers will see improvements to our 270/271 eligibility and benefits transactions. These updates are designed to help you verify coverage more easily and receive faster, more consistent eligibility and benefit information.

California HMO provider appointment access and availability

(April 22, 2026) Each year, in compliance with the State of California Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), we require randomly selected Cigna Healthcare network-participating providers to complete the Provider Appointment Availability Survey (PAAS). This survey measures access to care for California HMO plan enrollees.

Adoption of LOCUS and CALOCUS-CASII criteria in Colorado

(April 9, 2026) Colorado providers will soon see an update to the evidence-based criteria used to support mental health level-of-care medical necessity reviews. Effective April 11, 2026, Evernorth Behavioral Health will adopt the Level of Care Utilization System (LOCUS) for customers aged 19 and older and the Child and Adolescent Level of Care/Service Intensity Utilization System (CALOCUS-CASII) criteria for customers aged 6 through 18.

Updated Evernorth Behavioral Health Administrative Guidelines now available

(April 1, 2026) These guidelines, which are for contracted psychiatrists, psychologists, master’s-level therapists, hospitals, and facility-based programs, are reviewed annually to ensure the content remains relevant and current. A table summarizes the key updates.