Cigna announced that it expects the artificial intelligence systems it is introducing to identify members with chronic and complex conditions to reduce customer medical expenses by $200 million over the next three years. The company said the tools will be used to find higher-risk patients earlier and connect them with clinicians on Cigna's payroll.
Bryan Holgerson, a president at Cigna Healthcare, said the technology is intended to lower the incidence of more expensive health events at a time when costs for hospitalization and emergency services are rising. Cigna described the initiative as part of an effort to intervene earlier in members' care trajectories and prevent avoidable acute care.
Under the plan, Cigna will leverage its AI programming to increase the scale and timeliness of outreach by clinicians it employs, including nurses. The company said the software will enable its roughly 1,250 clinicians to better manage care needs and provide tailored support earlier in a patient's course.
Cigna said the changes will raise clinical access by 20% for people living with conditions such as cancer and heart or kidney disease. The insurer also said it expects the new technology to help identify breast, colorectal and lung cancers at earlier stages, though it did not provide additional operational details on how screenings or diagnostic pathways will be adjusted.
Company data cited by Cigna estimates that customers who use these clinical programs save about $2,000 a year in medical costs. The Cigna Group encompasses health insurer Cigna Healthcare, clinical business Evernorth Health Services and pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts.
The announcement comes as other large health companies also report adopting AI tools. Rival UnitedHealth said last week that technologies introduced this year have cut administrative burdens for clinicians across its Optum health services unit and freed up more provider time for patient care. CVS Health last week announced plans to roll out an AI assistant designed to call providers and book appointments on behalf of members.
Cigna presented the AI rollout as a clinical and operational step intended to broaden access, support targeted interventions for serious conditions and reduce member outlays for medical care over the coming three years.