“[W]We hope that continuing to improve access to care will play a crucial role in the post-pandemic health care delivery system,” says Evernorth Behavioral Health CMO.
Cigna has expanded its virtual offerings by expanding its partnership with Meru Health, a provider of app-based digital mental health services. What started as a tri-state pilot in 2020 has now grown, with Meru Health now the national health network for Cigna’s health services division, Evernorth. The addition marks Cigna and Evernorth’s growing digital offerings, beginning with MDLive online provider services and now including first virtual health plans in select markets.
in a Press releaseCEO and founder of startup Meru Health, Kristian Ranta, stated, “It’s exciting to see the rapid adoption of online services like Meru Health. Our research shows we can deliver better outcomes than traditional care, and continuing to do so is our top priority.” , while the pandemic drags on and beyond.”
The addition of Meru reflects the changing face of payer provider network definitions to include digital therapies (DTx). While most DTx applications include human support, physicians on demand in Meru’s case, they represent a growing “gateway” to treatment that has improved access to care during the pandemic and beyond. Whether these solutions can reduce costs and improve quality over time remains to be seen.
Trial data and real-world evidence are the lifeblood of these DTx companies, fostering payer acceptance and, when necessary, supporting FDA approval. Meru is one of many DTx companies looking for health plan clients and using research results to do so. In one peer reviewed studyparticipants responded more positively to the Meru intervention than to the use of antidepressants (60% at 12-month follow-up compared to 30%).
Meru Health is not the first company to join Cigna and Evernorth’s digital portfolio. Cigna first partnered with MDLive before the pandemic to offer members virtual wellness visits. Evernorth acquired MDLive in April 2021, which has allowed the company expand your virtual services beyond primary care to dermatology, behavioral, and urgent care. The service is available to all of Cigna’s employer-sponsored plans and is the foundation of Cigna’s new Virtual Prime $0 copay plans.
In Meru’s statement, Evernorth CMO of Behavioral Health doug nemeckMD stated: “Virtual care has been key in helping people address mental health needs, and we hope that continuing to improve access to care will play a crucial role in the post-pandemic health care delivery system.” .
Pointing to the supporting aspect for Meru Health’s depletion, Nemecek highlighted the rarely discussed expansion of the triple bottom line of health care. Before COVID-19, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) started a conversation about the quadruple goal, a fourth aspect of better care defined differently by different groups. The IHI noted: “For many organizations, the fourth goal is to achieve joy at work. For others, it is to seek equity in health.” The pandemic has revealed a powerful intersection of these goals: burnout not only among corporate employees but also among healthcare workers. The Cigna/Evernorth and Meru Health partnership is just one example of the innovations that stakeholders are seeking.
Laura Beerman is a contributing writer for HealthLeaders.
