These days, there are plenty of things to stress about, but managing diabetes shouldn’t be one of them. To help those who’ve been diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes better navigate care and keep costs down, Cigna has introduced new Diabetes Care Plans, a new option available to customers on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace. These plans offer new ways to save with additional benefits including $0 out-of-pocket costs, and tools that help improve access to more affordable, predictable and simple health care. 1
November marks National Diabetes Month, and also the start of open enrollment on the individual exchange, so it’s the perfect time to better understand how Cigna’s Diabetes Care Plans can help diabetes patients better manage their condition.
“Now, more than ever, taking care of ourselves is so important and we want to make it as easy as possible for people to access the resources and care they need,” said Lisa Lough, president of Cigna’s Individual and Family Plans business. “Those living with diabetes should not have to worry about the cost of insulin or other needed supplies. As part of our focus on patient care, our goal with Diabetes Care Plans is to make managing diabetes less stressful, giving our customers more peace of mind and the tools to achieve their best overall health.”
Our new Diabetes Care Plans – available in most counties where Cigna offers plans on the ACA marketplace – include additional $0 out-of-pocket cost benefits on diabetes supplies and equipment including blood glucose monitors, insulin pumps and infusion devices. The Diabetes Care Plans also include retinal eye exams to screen for and monitor diabetic retinopathy, as well as educational tools to help customers with diabetes stay healthy.
Diabetes is a common chronic health condition, affecting roughly 10 percent of Americans, or more than 34 million people. Approximately 1.5 million new cases are diagnosed each year, and on average, people who are diagnosed with diabetes have more than twice the medical expenses and are also more likely to develop other health issues.2]
Cigna and Express Scripts’ Patient Assurance ProgramSM is another way the company is helping to keep costs down, ensuring that eligible individuals with diabetes in participating plans pay no more than $25 for a 30-day supply of insulin.3 The program, included in all of Cigna’s ACA plans, offers an average savings of 48 percent per 30-day prescription -- more than $350 per person annually. In its first four months, the program delivered $3.7 million in direct savings to more than 40,000 members during COVID-19.
Visit Cigna.com for more details.
1 Refer to plan documents for a complete description and list of diabetes equipment and supplies that are covered at $0.
2 https://www.diabetes.org/resources/statistics/statistics-about-diabetes
3 Discounts available with the Cigna Patient Assurance Program. $25 is the maximum out-of-pocket cost for a 30-day supply.