Cigna + Oscar Extends Virtual Primary Care Plan 2022 Footprint

Cigna and Oscar Health, Inc are expanding their virtual primary care program to Tennessee and Georgia in order to increase access to care for small business owners and employees.

Pending regulatory approval, Oscar Virtual Primary Care will be available to Cigna + Oscar health plan members starting in 2022.

Oscar Health first launched the virtual primary care program in July 2020, aiming to provide members with access to quality, convenient, and affordable care.

Members can attend unlimited virtual appointments with primary care physicians through the service, as well as receive support for chronic disease management, preventive care, and specialty care, the press release stated.

The virtual primary care program offers a zero dollar copay that accompanies many of the services, including the unlimited primary care visits. Members can also access lab results and attend initial specialist visits for free as long as both are initiated by an Oscar Primary Care provider.

The program provides members with access to monitoring kits that can help improve communication between patients and providers in virtual care. The kits allow patients to monitor their vitals and be aware of any other health changes or concerns that they should report to their doctor.

“We’ve seen a huge shift in how care is delivered over the past few years. Today, people are more likely to engage with a virtual provider than ever before,” Meghan Joyce, chief operating officer and executive vice president of platform at Oscar Health, said in the press release.

“These plans offer more convenience at a lower cost, by empowering members to access a doctor that knows them, right on their smartphone, 24/7.”

Cigna and Oscar Health announced its Cigna + Oscar brand in 2020. This partnership gives members access to both Cigna and Oscar Health’s provider networks. The payers designed the health plans specifically to serve small businesses with up to 50, or in some states 100, employees.

Cigna + Oscar plans are currently available in Georgia, Tennessee, Connecticut, certain counties in California, and Kansas City.

Oscar Virtual Primary Care was a new addition to the payer’s Oscar Care approach, in which the payer uses virtual care and telehealth to provide members with affordable care.

Virtual health plans are becoming more common among payers, especially after the telehealth boom during the coronavirus pandemic.

Community Health Choice launched Virtual Bronze, a virtual primary care plan created to offer affordable telehealth services to Texans who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. Members have access to a primary care provider, preventive care, urgent care, and behavioral health services.

The plan also offers members access to a 24/7 care team and referrals to in-network providers and specialists.

UnitedHealthcare recently expanded its virtual primary care program as well. Members can schedule appointments for minor sicknesses, wellness visits, checkups for chronic conditions, and more. Similar to Oscar Health and Community Health Choice, patients can also receive specialist referrals and lab results through the virtual platform.

Many payers are deciding whether or not to continue telehealth coverage after the pandemic is over. Data shows that virtual care services may provide wider access to primary care and can offer convenience that in-person care lacks.

A Health Research Institute survey from December 2020 showed that 92 percent of the provider participants used telehealth for primary care services, 68 percent of which were follow-up appointments.

Many virtual-first health plans share common features that contribute to their success, one of which is an emphasis on primary care. Typical primary care services such as annual appointments, getting blood drawn, and getting a new prescription can yield expensive costs with a traditional health plan. But with a virtual health plan, like Oscar Virtual Primary Care, patients can potentially receive these services at no cost.

Virtual-first health plans also typically include 24/7 accessible services as well as concierge-style member engagement.