CommercialPrior AuthMedium impact
Arkansas prior authorization exemption legislation
Cigna·AR·Prior Authorization
Effective date
Jan 1, 2024
We identified it
Jun 19, 2026
Summary
Arkansas House Bill 1271 allows providers to be exempt from prior authorization requirements for specific services if Cigna Healthcare has approved at least 90% of their prior auth requests for that service over a 6-month period (with minimum 5 requests). Exemptions last at least 12 months and Cigna will notify providers of their exemption status.
Action Required
Immediately: Arkansas providers should track their prior authorization approval rates by service type with Cigna Healthcare. Monitor for notifications from Cigna regarding exemption status for specific services. Continue submitting prior authorizations as usual until notified of exemption status. Contact PriorAuthExemption@Cigna.com for questions about qualification.