Cigna’s healthcare services arm, Evernorth, has committed $100 million to develop and implement artificial intelligence systems for its specialty pharmacy operations. The investment, announced Wednesday, covers the period through 2028 and targets the enhancement of support for patients utilizing complex, high-cost medications.
The initiative begins with Accredo Specialty Pharmacy, a division of Evernorth that currently serves approximately one million patients. Accredo will be the first to receive the new technology, which aims to streamline various aspects of patient care and logistics. While the pharmacy already employs AI to schedule patient support calls, the expanded system will facilitate faster establishment of payment arrangements, accelerate the preparation of medications for shipment, and optimize the delivery of drugs to locations closer to patients' residences.
Evernorth stated that while Accredo is the initial focus, the company intends to extend many of these AI capabilities to its other pharmacy operations in the coming years. The goal is to improve the efficiency of healthcare supply chains for specialty drugs, which are often difficult to manufacture, require special storage, and may be highly perishable. These medications, which can include living cell-based treatments, are typically used to manage long-term, severe health conditions.
This announcement positions Evernorth among major health insurers increasing their focus on artificial intelligence. UnitedHealth reported last week that it plans to spend $3 billion on AI initiatives over the next two years. Additionally, CVS Health has included AI performance metrics in recent executive evaluations, though it did not disclose specific financial figures comparable to the other insurers.
Details regarding the specific vendors or software platforms Evernorth will utilize for this program were not provided. Further information on the timeline for extending these tools to other pharmacies beyond Accredo remains unclear.
