Cigna Corp.’s (NYSE: CI) health services segment, Evernorth, is placing behavioral health at the forefront of its strategy after witnessing unprecedented levels of need in recent years. This move is part of a broader shift within the healthcare industry where major payers are intensifying their focus on behavioral health access and care. Competitors like CVS Health’s Aetna and UnitedHealth Group’s UnitedHealthcare have also expanded their behavioral health offerings, but Evernorth’s recent developments signal a particularly strong commitment from Cigna to grow and enhance its capabilities in this space.
During Cigna’s Q2 earnings call, Ralph Giacobbe, senior vice president and head of investor relations, revealed that Evernorth’s behavioral health network has more than doubled in size over the past five years. This rapid expansion reflects the company’s acknowledgment of the rising demand for mental health and substance use disorder care and its dedication to addressing these critical needs. Giacobbe emphasized that Evernorth continues to build out its health service platform to deliver industry-leading pharmacy solutions alongside enhanced behavioral health services, health coaching, and care delivery.
One of Evernorth’s most notable innovations is the launch of the Confide Behavioral Health Navigator tool in March. This digital platform is designed to provide members with 24/7 access to care teams who can triage behavioral health symptoms, offer immediate guidance, and connect patients to the right care at the right time. Giacobbe described the tool as a significant advancement in improving how individuals are guided to appropriate behavioral care settings, helping reduce barriers and streamline access.
Expanding Behavioral Health Access and Care Through Digital Innovation and Partnerships
Evernorth’s digital platform strategy represents a vital part of Cigna’s broader effort to increase behavioral health access and care. By leveraging technology, the company aims to make it easier for members to navigate behavioral health care, which historically has been challenging to access due to provider shortages, stigma, and complex care pathways. The Confide Behavioral Health Navigator helps bridge these gaps, providing timely support and facilitating quicker connections to care providers.
In addition to digital innovations, Evernorth has formed strategic partnerships with specialized behavioral health companies to broaden its service offerings. In 2020, Evernorth partnered with Quit Genius, a digital health clinic focused on addiction treatment. This collaboration allows Evernorth members to access Quit Genius’s evidence-based programs aimed at overcoming substance use disorders through digital therapy and coaching.
The following year, Evernorth also teamed with Alma, a business service platform supporting independent mental health practitioners. This partnership helps Evernorth customers find in-network therapists more efficiently through Alma’s online directory, increasing the availability and visibility of qualified mental health providers within the network. These alliances not only expand Evernorth’s reach but also enhance its ability to offer personalized, patient-centered care options that improve behavioral health access and care for members.
Integrating Behavioral and Physical Health for Holistic Behavioral Health Access and Care
Looking toward the future, Cigna is focused on further integrating behavioral health services into its overall health strategy. David Cordani, Cigna’s president and CEO, highlighted the company’s ambition to “advance as aggressively as possible behavioral health services and the connection of behavioral health services with physical health services.” This integrated care model is designed to address the whole person—recognizing that behavioral health and physical health are deeply interconnected.
By bridging these services, Cigna hopes to improve health outcomes and provide more comprehensive care coordination, which can lead to earlier interventions and better management of chronic conditions. This integration supports value-based care models that reward providers for improved outcomes rather than volume of services, enhancing behavioral health access and care.
Navigating Costs While Supporting Increased Behavioral Health Access and Care
The surge in behavioral health needs does bring financial implications, but Cigna’s leadership views this through a positive lens. Brian Evanko, EVP and chief financial officer, explained that last year’s higher-than-typical cost trends in behavioral health were reflective of more people accessing the care they needed—a development the company sees as favorable. He noted that while cost trends have moderated in 2022, the overall increase in utilization is a sign that barriers to care are being lowered and more individuals are receiving timely treatment.
Evanko further stated that the moderation in cost trends has contributed to quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year financial favorability for Cigna. This suggests that while the company is investing heavily in behavioral health, it is managing costs effectively through its platform and partnerships, ensuring sustained behavioral health access and care.
The Bigger Picture: Behavioral Health Facility Investment and Innovation
Cigna’s strategic moves come at a time when the behavioral health sector is experiencing rapid growth and transformation. The company’s investment in expanding its behavioral health network and developing digital tools aligns with a growing recognition across the healthcare industry of the importance of mental health services. With behavioral health conditions affecting millions nationwide, payers are increasingly prioritizing this area as a key component of overall health.
Evernorth’s approach combines expanding provider networks, enhancing digital access through tools like Confide, and partnering with innovative behavioral health startups. This multi-pronged strategy not only increases capacity but also improves the quality and coordination of care, advancing behavioral health access and care for the populations they serve.
Conclusion
Cigna’s Evernorth is making significant strides in behavioral health, doubling the size of its network over five years and launching innovative digital solutions to make care more accessible. By integrating behavioral health with physical health services and partnering with specialized digital providers like Quit Genius and Alma, Evernorth is positioned to meet the growing behavioral health needs of its members effectively.
Despite the higher costs associated with increased utilization, Cigna views these investments as essential to ensuring that more people get the care they need when they need it. The company’s commitment to expanding behavioral health facility investment and leveraging technology signals a strong, forward-looking strategy that prioritizes mental health as an integral part of comprehensive healthcare. These efforts demonstrate a powerful model for improving behavioral health access and care that other industry leaders will likely follow as demand continues to rise.
