Short answer: for a small business in 2026 this is not really a choice between two insurers. Humana no longer sells employer medical plans — it finished leaving that business during 2025 — and it has not sold individual marketplace plans since the end of 2017. Cigna still sells employer coverage, but in most states only to larger groups, and its individual marketplace plans end on December 31, 2026. (Reviewed by Daniel Griffin, licensed independent advisor, NPN #22052447.)
Cigna and Humana at a Glance
| Coverage type | Cigna | Humana |
|---|---|---|
| Small group plans, 2–50 employees | Traditional fully insured plans listed for Arizona; new sales stopped in Georgia and Tennessee from November 1, 2025 | No — exited employer medical in 2025 |
| Employers with more than 50 employees | Yes, in most states | No |
| Self-funded plans | Administration for groups with as few as 25 full-time employees | No |
| Individual marketplace plans, 2026 | Yes, in some states | No |
| Individual marketplace plans, 2027 | No — leaving the individual market | No |
From each company’s own announcements and employer pages; sources at the end of this page.
What Happened to Humana’s Employer Plans
In February 2023 Humana announced it would leave the employer group commercial medical business: fully insured plans, self-funded plans and Federal Employee Health Benefits plans, along with the wellness programs attached to them. It completed that exit during 2025. Humana’s health insurance business is now built around Medicare and other government programs. A small business that had Humana group coverage has already had to move, and a business shopping today will not find a Humana employer medical plan to buy.
What Cigna Still Sells to Employers
Cigna Healthcare remains a large employer insurer, but the small-group side has narrowed. Its own site lists traditional fully insured small group plans (2 to 50 employees) in Arizona, Georgia and Tennessee, and says it stopped offering new ones in Georgia and Tennessee from November 1, 2025, while keeping existing customers covered to the end of their policy. In most states it offers group coverage to employers with more than 50 full-time employees, and administration of self-funded plans for groups with as few as 25.
On the individual side, Cigna is leaving the ACA marketplace entirely for 2027 (what Cigna members need to do). Owners and employees who bought Cigna individual plans will need a new plan for January 1.
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What a Small Business Can Choose Instead
- A small group plan from an insurer that sells one in your state. The carriers writing small group coverage differ state by state, and so do the participation rules. How small group coverage works.
- An individual coverage HRA (a CHOICE arrangement). The business sets a monthly allowance and each employee buys their own individual plan, which the business reimburses tax-free. How an ICHRA works.
- A QSEHRA, for employers with fewer than 50 employees and no group plan. The 2026 limits are $6,450 for one person and $13,100 for a family.
- Owner-only coverage. A business with no employees other than the owner and a spouse cannot buy a small group plan, so the owner buys individual coverage, on or off the marketplace. Coverage for small business owners.
Which of these fits depends on headcount, how much the business wants to contribute, the employees’ ages and incomes (an ICHRA can cost an employee their marketplace tax credit), and which insurers sell in your county. Group vs individual for a small business.
Sources
- Humana, Humana to Exit Employer Group Commercial Medical Products Business, February 23, 2023.
- Humana, Form 10-K for 2025: the exit was finalized during 2025.
- Cigna Healthcare, Small Group Health Insurance Plans (2–50 Employees): states and the November 1, 2025 change.
- Cigna Healthcare, Employer Health Insurance for Small Businesses: groups over 50 and self-funded plans from 25 employees.
- IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 QSEHRA limits.
Insurer offerings change; confirm what is sold in your state before you decide. Nothing here is tax advice. Daniel Griffin is a licensed independent insurance agent, NPN #22052447, not tied to any single carrier and not affiliated with the U.S. government.
Related: Cigna vs Humana across individual, employer and Medicare coverage.