Cigna is expanding its Medicare business to the St. Louis area, offering Medicare Advantage (MA) plans in several counties there and giving local Medicare beneficiaries more choices, including plan benefits not offered by Original Medicare, such as vision, dental, and hearing coverage. Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO) and Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO) MA plans will be available in Crawford, Franklin, Jefferson, St. Charles, St. Francois, St. Louis, St. Louis City, Warren, and Washington counties in Missouri as well as Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair counties in Illinois. Both plans are available for $0 premium and include a host of benefits not available in Original Medicare, including vision, hearing, dental, and prescription drug coverage. They also include meal delivery following a hospital admission, a fitness benefit, and access to a network of high-quality local doctors and hospitals. Unlike the HMO, the PPO provides some coverage services at an out-of-network provider, but at a higher cost. Like the HMO, the PPO provides dental coverage, but through an allowance to be used for preventive and comprehensive non-cosmetic services at any licensed dentist who participates in Medicare. Cigna also offers Medicare Supplement plans and standalone prescription drug plans across Missouri and Illinois to provide customers with choices for every budget and lifestyle. These plans will first be available to Medicare eligible customers during Medicare's Annual Election Period (AEP), which began Oct. 15 and continues through Dec. 7. They will be effective Jan. 1, 2022.