In 2024, one trend continues to gain momentum among major U.S. payers: the integration of behavioral and physical health. This morning, Cigna (NYSE: CI) reaffirmed its commitment to this strategy, with leadership emphasizing the value of integrated care models during the company’s Q4 earnings call.
Eric Palmer, President and CEO of Evernorth Health Services—Cigna’s health services division—highlighted that behavioral health coordination will remain a cornerstone of their strategy. “Behavioral care continues to be an area of focus, and there’s a meaningful opportunity for behavioral care to be better coordinated,” Palmer said. “There are significant comorbidities with individuals who have mental health care needs, along with other care needs, and we’re in a position to help address those challenges.”
This renewed focus comes just days after Cigna announced its $3.3 billion sale of its Medicare business to Health Care Services. The move suggests that Cigna is doubling down on its commercial plans and expanding the influence of Evernorth—its platform for pharmacy, care delivery, and intelligence—where integrated care models play a critical role.
Scaling Behavioral Health Access Through Strategic Growth
Cigna has long positioned behavioral health as a growth area. In 2023, the company reported expanding its behavioral health provider network by 30%, a clear signal of growing demand and investment in mental health services. Much of this growth has been guided by the need to build out more effective integrated care models, which Cigna sees as the future of value-based healthcare.
One of Cigna’s flagship behavioral health innovations is its Confide platform—launched in 2021. Confide is a tech-first behavioral health navigator service that offers 24/7 access to care teams. These teams triage mental health concerns in real time and connect patients to appropriate providers. Tools like Confide are not only increasing access but are also supporting the infrastructure of scalable integrated care models that blend technology, triage, and human support.
David Cordani, Chairman and CEO of Cigna, underscored the growing expectation for care models that treat the whole person. “The market now expects much more coordination of behavioral and physical health,” he said. “We will continue to expand services that we have within our leading capabilities.” This continued expansion demonstrates Cigna’s intent to remain a leader in the development and execution of high-performing integrated care models.
Evernorth’s Case Management Strategy: Integration in Action
Evernorth, in particular, has implemented a number of thoughtful strategies to bring integrated care models to life. One notable example is its oncology case management initiative. The program includes behavioral health screenings as a standard part of cancer care. When a patient screens positive for a behavioral health concern, a case manager can immediately connect them with a behavioral health coach, who then assists with setting up an outpatient appointment in the community.
“You need both physical and emotional health if you want to reach your optimal potential,” said Dr. Doug Nemecek, Chief Medical Officer of Behavioral Health at Evernorth. “For example, when one of our members is diagnosed with breast cancer, she is not only focused on what her oncologist is telling her, but she can be overwhelmed with anxiety. An incredible range of emotions can occur in the face of a cancer diagnosis. So it’s important that we surround that individual and their family with appropriate behavioral health resources and support.”
This approach exemplifies how integrated care models can deliver better patient outcomes, reduce care fragmentation, and provide emotional resilience during life-threatening illnesses.
The Bottom Line: Better Outcomes, Lower Costs
The benefits of integrated care models are not just clinical—they’re also financial. Data from the Evernorth Research Institute reveals that cancer patients who do not receive outpatient behavioral health services are twice as likely to experience an avoidable emergency room visit compared to those who do. This reinforces the value of embedding mental health services within physical health pathways—not just for the individual, but also for overall healthcare system efficiency.
Cigna’s broader financials support its ability to invest in these models. The company reported $195.3 billion in total revenue for 2023, including $51.1 billion for Q4 alone—a 12% increase year-over-year. With the divestiture of its Medicare business, Cigna is better positioned to allocate resources toward building out Evernorth’s ecosystem and refining its integrated care models across commercial lines of business.
Looking Ahead
As mental health parity and whole-person care become table stakes in healthcare, Cigna and Evernorth’s emphasis on integrated care models is poised to shape the next era of payer-driven innovation. Their strategy not only meets the rising expectations of members and employers but also advances a future where behavioral health is inseparable from physical health—by design.
