Cigna is rolling out a new patient experience platform that aims to harness the power of data to drive greater personalization.
Called Health Sense, the tool brings together information on an individual's health needs, medical coverage, pharmacy benefits, cost exposure and other previous interactions with the health plan. This allows for more complete context, as the insurer's clinical teams offer tailored experiences to members.
Having a more complete picture of the patient also allows Cigna's clinicians and care managers to collaborate more effectively with a member's treating providers, the company said. It surfaces insights for the member about next steps, potential costs for care, any supports available in-network and potential preparation for an upcoming appointment.
Cigna plans to roll out Health Sense in early 2027, with an initial focus on members with cancer or cardiometabolic conditions.
Bryan Holgerson, president of Cigna Healthcare U.S. and executive vice president of consumer health outcomes at the Cigna Group, told Fierce Healthcare in an interview that the goal is to build a tool that ensures patients "don't have to start over and over again" to find key information they need.
"For individuals, especially for those with complex needs, it can be really fragmented and frustrating," Holgerson said.
Holgerson said that patients with complex conditions often have a long list of things they need to coordinate themselves, from ensuring they are seeing the correct physician to understanding treatment options to determining what their insurance will cover.
For example, an individual may not know where they are in their plan's deductible, or even what a deductible is, leading to care costs that are higher than they expected. A platform like Health Sense can quickly surface details on their out-of-pocket expenses to make them better informed, he said.
In addition, many patients turn to search or generative AI to discuss their health concerns, so Health Sense is built to fill the role of a trusted source for members to use when they need more detail.
"We're trying to bring together the experience aspects of insurance and the clinical aspects of navigating the system," said Holgerson.
Health Sense will integrate with the insurer's existing digital tools, such as its myCigna platform and care management programs, as members are already engaged in these tools. Health Sense is also not designed to make diagnoses or prescribe treatments, keeping those conversations between the patient and their doctor.
The team is choosing to kick off the program in the cardiometabolic and oncology spaces, as these are two high-cost focus areas for employers and plan sponsors. Holgerson said that the widespread nature of cardiometabolic needs afforded the team the opportunity to test interventions in a large population, enhancing the learning process for what's working and what's not with Health Sense.
Cancer patients, meanwhile, have to parse a complicated condition with equally complicated therapies, so having supports in place to help navigate that is critical, he said.
Cigna is also looking toward additional conditions or disease states where Health Sense could make it easier for patients to navigate their care. Areas that hold potential include sleep, musculoskeletal conditions and acute needs.
"The sky's the limit," Holgerson said. "That every Cigna customer has a companion of sorts—that's our goal."