Cigna Intensifies Effort to Curtail Opioid Epidemic by Confronting Opioid Addiction and Overdose in U.S. Communities

Global health service company Cigna (NYSE:CI) is intensifying its commitment to curtail the opioid epidemic by focusing new drug prevention and treatment efforts in targeted U.S. communities. The company will collaborate with employers, customers, prescribing clinicians, pharmacists and community-based organizations to reduce the number of opioid overdoses by 25 percent among its commercial customers in these communities by December 2021.

Initially, Cigna will focus its local efforts in areas where a sizable number of Cigna commercial customers reside and where there are higher than average overdose rates, including communities in the states of Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia and in the metropolitan areas of Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The goal is to reduce prescription and illicit opioid overdoses in these areas, and Cigna will advance initiatives that impact both Cigna customers and the communities at large. To support this initiative, Cigna and the Cigna Foundation will expand and accelerate the impact of community-based organizations that are leading localized programs. Cigna intends to learn from initial efforts during the three year time period and expand to other communities over time.

Nationally, in 2016, nearly 64,000 people died of drug overdoses across the United States and approximately two-thirds of these deaths were linked to opioids¹. Opioids were linked to one in 65 of all U.S. deaths in 2016, and one in five deaths or 20% of all deaths for adults ages 25-34¹. A new study based on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data shows opioid-related deaths between 2001 and 2016 increased 345% and resulted in approximately 1.68 million person-years of life lost in 2016 alone².

“Behind every number, there are real people struggling along with families, employers and communities,” said David M. Cordani, Cigna President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our commitment to reduce drug overdoses by 25 percent is a commitment to each and every one of them, and we look forward to working closely with our partners to meet it.”

Employer-sponsored insurance covers nearly four in ten non-elderly adults with opioid addiction, and the costs of treating opioid and other drug addiction and overdose are significant, rising to more than $2.6 billion in 2016 from $0.3 billion 12 years earlier, a nearly nine-fold increase³. Cigna partners with employers to make health plan benefit design decisions including, integrating medical, pharmacy and behavioral benefits and offering dedicated programs that help prevent prescription drug misuse and help people struggling with addiction.