Cigna Corp. (NYSE: CI) is doubling down on Evernorth, its health care services division, as a central pillar of its long-term growth strategy. Based in Bloomfield, Connecticut, Cigna has been steadily expanding its presence in the behavioral health space through both its insurance plan offerings and Evernorth’s specialized services, strengthening its position in Cigna behavioral health. This move reflects a larger trend among payers who are increasingly prioritizing mental health as an essential part of overall health care.
Evernorth has already demonstrated significant growth in the behavioral health sector, more than doubling its network of behavioral health providers. Financially, Evernorth has become the powerhouse of Cigna’s operations, contributing 68% of the company’s pre-tax income and 79% of its revenue in the third quarter, according to recent financial filings. By leveraging Evernorth, Cigna is not only increasing access to mental health services but also positioning itself as a leader in digital health and integrated care.
Expanding Digital Capabilities
Central to Cigna’s strategy is the expansion of Evernorth’s digital capabilities. The division’s services cover benefit services, special pharmacy and care services, and health care point services. Cigna has invested heavily in technology tools designed to improve patient access, outcomes, and engagement. One notable example is the Confide Behavioral Health Navigator tool, launched in March, which helps members triage symptoms and connect with appropriate care resources efficiently.
Brian Evanko, Cigna’s CFO, emphasized in the third-quarter earnings call that the company is making “meaningful strategic investments to both sustain and create new sources of differentiation.” These investments are intended to deepen client relationships, broaden the services portfolio, and enhance digital tools, reflecting Cigna’s commitment to innovation in health care delivery.
Strategic Partnerships to Enhance Behavioral Health
Evernorth has also been active in forming strategic partnerships with digital behavioral health providers to strengthen its service offerings. This year alone, it partnered with Bicycle Health, a virtual opioid use disorder treatment provider, as well as Quit Genius and Alma, both of which focus on digital mental health solutions. These partnerships are central to Cigna behavioral health’s mission of expanding access and improving outcomes for members.
Outside of Evernorth, Cigna has extended its partnerships to broader initiatives in behavioral health. Notably, the insurer partnered with the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence to establish standards for outcomes and best practices in autism therapy. These collaborations reflect Cigna behavioral health’s commitment to evidence-based care and its strategy to integrate mental health more deeply into everyday health services.
Virtual Care and Continuous Engagement
Cigna’s leadership has made clear that virtual care and continuous member engagement are core to its growth strategy. CEO David Cordani highlighted that the company is focused on leveraging technology for remote monitoring, connected devices, and real-time interventions between appointments. These efforts are particularly critical for chronic condition management and behavioral health, where continuous engagement can significantly improve outcomes.
Cigna has made significant investments to support this vision. In a major move, it acquired MDLIVE for $2 billion, a 24/7 telehealth platform offering urgent care, primary care, mental health care, and dermatology. This acquisition expands Cigna behavioral health’s virtual care capabilities and ensures that members have access to care around the clock.
Behavioral Health: The Fastest-Growing Segment
Behavioral health is now the fastest-growing segment of Cigna’s customer relationships. In the third quarter, the company reported 44.5 million behavioral care customer relationships, accounting for 23% of its total 192.4 million relationships. This represents a 12% increase from the previous year, highlighting the rising demand for mental health services. Pharmacy services remain the largest segment, with 108.7 million customer relationships, growing 5% year over year.
The growing focus on behavioral health reflects broader trends across the health care industry. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified the demand for behavioral health services and reinforced the importance of treating mental health as an essential component of whole-person care. In response, payers like Cigna, Optum, and AbleTo are increasingly consolidating services, investing in technology, and acquiring behavioral health practices to meet member needs.
Financial Performance Supports Growth Strategy
Cigna’s strategic investments in Evernorth and behavioral health are already showing results. The company exceeded earnings and revenue expectations for the third quarter, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $6.04 and revenue of $45.4 billion, according to Zacks Equity Research. Evernorth’s strong performance underscores its role as the driver of Cigna behavioral health growth and highlights the potential of digital health and integrated care.
By doubling down on Evernorth, Cigna is positioning itself as a leader in both behavioral health and digital health services. Its strategy emphasizes technology-driven care, continuous engagement, and strategic partnerships, all designed to improve access, quality, and outcomes for members. As behavioral health continues to expand as a critical area of health care, Cigna behavioral health is set to become even more influential in shaping the industry.
Looking Ahead
The future of health care is increasingly digital, integrated, and centered on whole-person care. For Cigna, Evernorth represents the convergence of these trends, serving as both a growth engine and a platform for innovation. With a focus on behavioral health, virtual care, and member engagement, Cigna behavioral health is setting a standard for the industry, demonstrating how strategic investments and technology integration can enhance care delivery and improve outcomes at scale.
