Cigna vs UnitedHealth 401(k) match: 5% vs 4.5%
+0.5 pts
Winner on the headline number: Cigna, at 5% of pay against UnitedHealth's 4.5%. Both filings disclose the full formula, so the two numbers compare like for like; vesting, true-up and enrollment defaults still differ line by line below.
On a $60,000 salary, that gap is worth $300 a year more in employer money from Cigna.
Filings lag by design and formulas can change between them. Why filings lag
Which 401(k) match is larger, Cigna or UnitedHealth?
Cigna offers the larger 401(k) match: up to 5% of pay against UnitedHealth's 4.5%, per each company's SEC Form 11-K for the plan year ended December 31, 2025.
| Cigna | UnitedHealth | |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum employer matchThe most the employer adds, as a share of your pay. | 5% of pay (the larger maximum match) | 4.5% of pay |
| Match formula | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 4% of pay, then 50% of the next 2% of pay | 100% (dollar-for-dollar) of the first 3% of pay, then 50% of the next 3% of pay |
| Contribute to collect it allWhat you must put in to earn the full match. | 6% of pay | 6% of pay |
| Vesting of the match | Cliff: 100% vested after 2 years of service | Cliff: 100% vested after 2 years of service |
| Automatic enrollment | Yes, rises to 14% | Yes, 3% default, rises to 6% |
| True-upA year-end recalculation that repays match lost to uneven contributions. | Yes, annual true-up | Not stated in the filing |
| Plan year | Ended December 31, 2025 | Ended December 31, 2025 |
Read from each company's most recent SEC Form 11-K filing. When a filing does not disclose something, we say so instead of guessing.
Useful links
- Cigna: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- UnitedHealth: full 401(k) plan facts
Formula, vesting, eligibility and the verbatim filing sentences.
- Compare any two companies side by side
Pick your own pair from every company in the data.
More comparisons
- CVS Health vs UnitedHealthCVS Health by 0.5 pts
- Humana vs UnitedHealthHumana by 3 pts
The figure is the gap between the two maximum matches, in percentage points of pay.