3 min read April 2024 — Tim Vessel, market growth leader at Cigna Healthcare, sat down with Invest: to discuss Houston’s healthcare space and the opportunities that come with operating under its umbrella. He covered the way healthcare delivery is evolving, how Cigna Healthcare has prepared for it and more. “Individual and community health, as well as growing demand for virtual access and health, are substantial parts of our economy,” he said.
What highlights and achievements defined the past year for Cigna Healthcare in the Houston area?
Relative to Houston, we are in a good position. There is great pride in the work we do and the fact that so many clients trust us with their business and the role we play in healthcare delivery. What stands out to me is the work we have done in the community. To fulfill our mission as an organization, which is to improve the health and vitality of those we serve, we must do our part in supporting the community, especially in underserved areas. Cigna Healthcare has made substantial investments and established very strong partnerships with community initiatives meeting these objectives. Notably, we worked with Harris Health System to support their Food Farmacy. Just in the past few months, we secured a long-term commitment in which we are putting forth $500,000 of funding to support that initiative to expand access to fresh and healthy foods for underserved areas of Houston. Cigna Healthcare also worked with community leaders on primary objectives surrounding food insecurity and community spaces, such as park revitalization. The goal is to improve the underlying health and wellness of the general population and expand access to healthcare more broadly.
What opportunities come along with doing business in Houston’s healthcare community?
Houston’s healthcare industry is dynamic. Healthcare is also continuously evolving. On one hand, the most pressing needs stem around access to care. We have focused on that significantly in the Houston area, as well as more broadly. One of the most notable elements of that is in the wake of the pandemic in which we saw a greater demand for access to virtual channels of healthcare. Cigna Healthcare has made significant investments to build greater opportunities for our customers, including the acquisition of MDLIVE, a virtual healthcare provider. Through this acquisition and other work, we have enabled access to virtual care for the individuals who see primary care physicians, dermatologists, dentists and more. This has addressed one of the main barriers in the healthcare delivery system, which is access to care, but it is also a lower-cost option. Redirecting from an emergency room visit to a telehealth visit can save an individual or their employer an average of $1,490 each time.
How is Cigna Healthcare addressing challenges related to burnout in the healthcare industry?
This is an emerging challenge present in the healthcare system. Cigna Healthcare has always understood the very clear connection between mental health and physical health. Often, the two overlap. If an individual has a chronic condition, there is likely to be a behavioral health condition, as well. We put a tremendous focus on expanding our network. In addition to virtual care and access points through MDLIVE, we have also focused on expanding the actual number of clinicians that participate throughout our network. We have literally doubled our network in the past five years with the intention of creating more of those access points for those experiencing a behavioral health incident. Our customer service associates are prepared for evaluating whether an individual is having a behavioral health incident, as are our healthcare delivery system providers. When that situation is detected, we have a process in place in which we create an immediate connection with a behavioral health clinician. This is becoming increasingly more important in our healthcare strategy. In today’s environment, we find that individuals are much more inclined to acknowledge that there is a mental health circumstance they are attempting to manage, so they are more receptive to engagement with clinicians.
What future healthcare trends do you foresee, and how will Cigna Healthcare be a leader in these spaces?
Based on what we have seen in recent years and emerging trends, it is very clear that there will continue to be an increase in pharmaceutical solutions, such as forthcoming medications. It is quite amazing to think about the therapies available today, such as gene therapy, that not only represent care for certain conditions, but in many instances can cure them. From a clinical standpoint, this is incredible. The challenge is that these medications are very costly. This is something we will continue to manage from the healthcare perspective. Cigna Healthcare is prepared to manage through this with the fact that we saw this emerging trend several years ago. In anticipation of it, we purchased a company called Express Scripts that includes a best-in-class provider of specialized medications, Accredo®. Individual and community health, as well as growing demand for virtual access and health, are substantial parts of our economy.
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