- Aon's Cost Efficiency Measurement shows integration
of medical, pharmacy and behavioral health benefits reduced total
care costs by $148 per member per
year
- Additional study by Cigna finds higher savings from
integrated care for chronically ill beneficiaries, including more
than $11,000 in reduced care costs
for those taking specialty drugs for inflammatory
conditions
BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Jan. 19,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A study released today by Cigna
(NYSE: CI), a global health service company, finds that triple
integration of medical, pharmacy and behavioral benefits resulted
in lower health care costs for employers. Conducted by Aon plc, a
leading global professional services firm, the Value of
Integration Study shows that Cigna's integrated employer
clients saved $148 per member per
year in 2021.
Using a similar study method, Cigna then evaluated the
financial impact of engaging employees to participate in health
improvement programs, such as wellness coaching. The results show
even greater client savings for Cigna integrated employer clients,
exceeding $1,400 per member per
year.
In addition, Cigna found that when individuals with specific
high-cost conditions and therapies were enrolled in a
triple-integrated health plan and needed specialty medicines, the
savings for the health plan were:
- Nearly $9,000 per member per
year, increasing to more than $11,000
per member when the specialty drug is for an inflammatory condition
like rheumatoid arthritis; and
- Almost $17,500 per year for
members who took specialty drugs and have a confirmed depression
diagnosis.
"Integrated benefits provide a real-time, connected platform
that enables us to anticipate our customers' unique health needs
and support them as they make important health care decisions –
driving lower costs over time," said Katy
Wong, chief pharmacy officer, Cigna Pharmacy. "There is
tremendous value for employers in having this holistic view across
the continuum of care for their workforce. It produces significant
savings on health care, which they can pass along to their
employees, and it also improves the health of their workforce,
which fuels productivity and business growth."
"The measurement confirms the direct connection between
integrated medical, pharmacy and behavioral benefits and lower
medical claims costs," said Todor
Penev, commercial analytics leader at Aon. "Employers should
feel confident that integrated benefits deliver on the promise of
improved health outcomes and ultimately lower the financial risk to
the employer, helping build a more resilient workforce."
Managing the cost of chronic
conditions
More than 60 percent of
adults in the United
States live with a chronic disease, such as musculoskeletal
pain or diabetes, and chronic disease is one of the leading drivers
of the nation's $4.1 trillion annual
health costs. Integrated benefits can help curb the costs of
chronic conditions. Cigna found that when members were enrolled in
a triple-integrated health plan, the savings for the health plan
were:
- Nearly $400 a year for members
with a musculoskeletal diagnosis.
- More than $1,400 a year when an
individual with a musculoskeletal diagnosis is engaged with a
health coach.
- Nearly $2,500 per member per year
with a diabetes diagnosis.
Cigna found that members with integrated benefits and support
from health improvement programs need fewer emergency room visits
and fewer costly invasive in-patient procedures. This includes:
- Members with diabetes have a 17% lower rate of avoidable
emergency room visits.
- Members with musculoskeletal conditions experience:
-
- 133% lower rate of surgeries in an in-patient setting.
- 26% lower rate of opioid overdoses.
- 16% fewer interventional procedures, such as injections and
biopsies.
Cigna Pathwell
The findings come as Cigna
launches a new suite of products designed to create the type of
connected care experience that achieves these savings for
integrated clients. Cigna Pathwell harnesses the analytics,
clinical expertise, treatment planning and personalized digital
solutions within Evernorth, Cigna's health services business, and
integrates them with Cigna's medical, pharmacy and behavioral
benefits management and high-performing provider networks to create
a comprehensive and personalized care experience for patients
living with high-cost health conditions.
"This research underscores the improved health outcomes and
savings we can achieve through creating a more personalized,
connected health care journey, which we've built with Cigna
Pathwell," said Heather Dlugolenski, senior vice president,
U.S. Solutions, Cigna. "Cigna Pathwell connects customers with the
providers and therapies that are best suited to their unique health
conditions and – through our unparalleled data and expertise – can
help anticipate their future needs to help them recover
faster."
Aon's 2022 Value of Integration Study can be found
here.
Aon Study Methodology
Aon's 2022 Value
of Integration study is based on a two-year analysis
(2020-2021) of medical claims of over 2 million Cigna customers who
receive coverage through their employers. Aon was independently
engaged to design and perform the study. The book-of-business study
leveraged Aon's proprietary Cost Efficiency Measurement, a match
case-control methodology, comparing groups of individuals who are
alike (age, gender, health status and benefits) but differ in terms
of their coverage of medical, pharmacy and behavioral benefits.
Cigna Study Methodology
Cigna used a match
case-control methodology developed at Harvard
University to produce supplementary statistics on different
subsets of customers (those with certain comorbidities, those who
engaged in health improvement activities, etc.).
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation is a global health
service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being, and
peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice,
predictability, affordability and access to quality care through
integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that
advance whole person health. All products and services are provided
exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna
Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company,
Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Evernorth companies or
their affiliates, and Express Scripts companies or their
affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite
of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health,
pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits and other related
products.
Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has more than 190 million customer relationships
around the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including
links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter,
visit www.cigna.com.
Media Contact
Kelly Mathews
(423) 260-9267
Kelly.mathews@cigna.com
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SOURCE Cigna