Cigna Healthcare announced Thursday that it is integrating artificial intelligence and related technologies to broaden its patient care management initiatives. The health benefits division plans to extend support services to roughly 20 percent more individuals who face emerging, complex, or chronic health conditions. These conditions include behavioral health issues, cancer, high-risk pregnancies, heart disease, and kidney disease.
The company estimates that this expansion will make care management services available to approximately 33,000 additional people. Cigna projects that utilizing these services could reduce costs by $2,000 annually for a high-risk patient, resulting in total savings of $200 million over a three-year period.
Previously, the division employed 1,250 staff members to support about 130,000 users of care management services. The new AI systems and data analysis tools are designed to identify potential candidates for these programs more rapidly and connect them with healthcare experts faster.
Dr. Stanley Crittenden, Cigna Healthcare’s chief medical officer, noted that individuals with new diagnoses or complex conditions often struggle to determine necessary care or where to seek it. He stated that providing earlier guidance helps customers receive appropriate treatment at the right time, thereby avoiding serious and costly health complications.
Brian Evanko, Cigna’s chief executive officer, emphasized the long-term value of data and advanced analytics in healthcare. Speaking at a Bank of America investor conference in May, Evanko described AI as a critical driver for more affordable and personalized solutions. He expressed confidence that these technologies would help prevent smaller cases from escalating into expensive situations that trigger stop-loss claims for self-insured employers.
