I'm a recruiter (agency side, not Cigna specifically) and I've placed a handful of people at Cigna over the past two years. Sharing what I know about their phone screen because I help candidates prep for it.
Cigna's recruiter phone screens are generally 20-30 minutes. They're not just scheduling calls. The recruiter is doing a real eval and you can absolutely be screened out here.
What they typically cover:
comp alignment. This comes up early. Cigna posts salary bands on some reqs (especially in states that require it) but not all. The recruiter will ask your target range. If you're dramatically out of band they'd rather end it here than waste 4 hours of interview time. Have your number ready and don't low-ball yourself "to be safe."
work authorization. Asked early on most calls. If you need sponsorship, know that Cigna does sponsor H1B but it depends on the specific team and headcount. The recruiter will tell you if the req is sponsorship-eligible.
background summary. They're going to skim your resume and ask you to walk through it. Keep this to 3-4 minutes. They're looking for: does your background make sense for this role, are there gaps they need to understand, have you worked with the specific tech or domain they care about.
why Cigna / why healthcare. I keep saying this but it matters. Have a genuine answer. "I want to work on problems that have real impact" is not an answer. "My parent went through a prior authorization nightmare and I want to work on the software that can make that better" is an answer.
logistics. Location, remote comfort, travel expectations, start date. All of this is on the table.
Things that tank screens: being unprepared to give a comp number ("i'm open" reads as unserious in 2026) not knowing what team or role you applied for giving a 20-minute life story when asked to walk through your resume having no answer for why healthcare specifically
One logistical note: Cigna uses Workday for scheduling. If the recruiter says they'll send you a Workday invite, that's not optional. Follow up if you don't get it within 48 hours.