Cigna Taps MDLIVE to Expand Virtual Care Access to 'Millions of People'

The program launches in January 2022 and will be available to all Cigna customers enrolled in employer-sponsored plans.

Cigna Health Plan's Evernorth subsidiary announced Tuesday that it will leverage its recently acquired MDLIVE telehealth platform to expand virtual care to "millions of customers."

The clinical services offered will include digital-first primary, dermatology, behavioral and urgent care. In addition, MDLIVE physicians will join Cigna's other clinicians, with access to patient health records, to coordinate the care, the company said.

The program launches in January 2022 and will be available to all Cigna customers enrolled in employer-sponsored plans.

"With MDLIVE now part of Evernorth, we've fast-tracked our ability to offer a broader suite of differentiated, future-state care solutions that make the patient experience easier and more convenient," Evernorth President Eric Palmer said in a media release.

"Today's announcement represents a significant step forward for millions of health plan customers who will gain on-demand access to a wider range of highly-specialized, in-network health care professionals."

Heather Dlugolenski, senior vice president, solutions, Cigna said the expansion builds on last year's launch with MDLIVE of a virtual wellness visit program and extends primary care access to the more than 75% of Cigna customers in 2020 who used MDLIVE but did not have a regular primary care doctor.  

"Not only will this give more people an additional entry point to the healthcare system, but patients will be able to build lasting relationships with their preferred MDLIVE provider just as they would in a traditional office setting," Dlugolenski said.

For some employers, Cigna is also offering virtual-first health plans that include $0 copays with MDLIVE primary care providers, chronic disease management and care navigation, with no referrals needed for in-person visits with in-network health care providers.

 The Cigna announcement comes one week after UnitedHealthcare unveiled a collaborative with Optum to roll out a "virtual-first health plan" in nine markets across the nation. Minnetonka, Minnesota-based United is touting NavigateNOW  as "a simpler, more convenient experience at approximately 15% less premium cost than traditional benefit plans."