Cigna is teaming up with OpenAI to build out more personalized supports for individuals with complex conditions, starting with a focus on cancer patients.
The companies said in an announcement that Cigna intends to embed OpenAI’s frontier reasoning models into both its clinical workflows and consumer-facing experiences across its ecosystem. This will allow its teams to better support cancer patients by identifying potential needs or concerns more quickly and enhancing care coordination, even between in-person physician visits.
Cigna said one of the goals is to make it easier for patients to access key information and navigate next steps within its existing channels and programs.
The partners plan to continue building on the collaboration over time to lean on a “broad range of health intelligence capabilities” to support patients across a wide array of different health needs, per the announcement.
““The real promise of AI is not simply that it can help us move faster,” said Katya Andresen, the Cigna Group’s chief data, digital and AI officer, in the announcement. “It helps us make every patient experience more personalized.”
“By combining OpenAI’s frontier model capability with our clinical expertise, integrated health care context and ability to connect people to care, we are building a clinical intelligence capability that can help anticipate needs earlier, support more personalized action and improve how we serve patients over time,” Andresen said.
One of the first initiatives under the partnership, per the announcement, is a program that arms oncology nurses and case managers at both Cigna Healthcare — the company’s health plan arm — and Accredo Specialty Pharmacy with AI-powered tools to unite clinical, pharmacy, behavioral and benefits information to offer them a more complete view of each patient.
That collection of data can help the clinical teams identify the appropriate supports and interventions, incorporating information direct from the patient like their questions, reported side effects and preferences. The company expects this data to make the complex care journey feel simpler over time.
Cigna added that the partnership with OpenAI also builds on existing AI initiatives underway at the company, such as Accredo’s Pharmacy Forward program, which aims to address medication adherence and lower the time to treatment. Cigna’s insurance arm also recently announced that it would utilize AI to support its personalized care management programs.
“AI should make healthcare easier to understand and navigate for patients and the people caring for them,” said Nate Gross, M.D., head of health at OpenAI, in the announcement. “Together with the Cigna Group we are delivering on that goal through AI capabilities that build on the expertise and judgment clinical teams bring to patient care.”