Cigna's MDLIVE Deploys Remote Patient Monitoring Program

Health insurance giant Cigna, like its competitors Humana and UnitedHealthcare, is entering the remote patient monitoring (RPM) arena.

MDLIVE, a virtual care provider that is part of Cigna's health services portfolio, is launching its first RPM program.

The program is available to all health plans offering MDLIVE primary care services to their members. It enables certain members to track and report biometrics, like blood pressure and glucose levels, to their virtual primary care providers who can then review the data with them during their visits.

"Our new health monitoring program deepens the partnership between MDLIVE primary care providers and patients, giving them greater insights into the critical daily health data that can be an early indicator of a serious medical issue," said Cynthia Zelis, MD, chief medical officer, MDLIVE, in the news release.

The company plans to expand the program later in the year to include digital devices that can transmit patient data automatically to the MDLIVE patient portal.

The move comes as healthcare consumers become increasingly interested in monitoring health metrics, like blood sugar and blood pressure, using applications and at-home tools. According to Deloitte, 28 percent of healthcare consumers in the U.S. said they used technology to measure health metrics in 2020, a massive jump from the 15 percent who said the same in 2013.

Further, in 2020, about 75 percent of those with difficult chronic conditions said they would share their health data gathered from a monitoring device with their doctor, Deloitte found.

"[The new monitoring program] is a down payment on the future of virtual care, where patients work with providers to manage complex chronic conditions from the comfort and privacy of their home, or wherever is convenient for them," said Eric Palmer, CEO of Evernorth, in the news release. "Evernorth and MDLIVE are building a new model of care delivery, one that offers a seamless, connected experience to drive greater affordability and improved health outcomes for those we serve."

Evernorth, Cigna's health services portfolio, purchased MDLIVE last April. Since then, the payer has been doubling down on its virtual care strategy.

In October 2021, Cigna expanded member access to virtual-first primary, dermatology, behavioral, and urgent care services. Concurrently, it gave telehealth providers access to patient health information during virtual visits.

Following in the footsteps of other payers like CVS Health and UnitedHealth Group, Cigna also launched a virtual-first health plan last year. Select employers can receive virtual care from MDLIVE providers for a zero-dollar copay through the plan, which also includes chronic care management and no referral requirements for in-person visits with in-network providers.

Cigna's focus on virtual care is backed by data it has collected showing telehealth lowers healthcare costs, increases access to care, and improves health outcomes. In fact, a virtual care visit for a non-urgent health concern was $93 less than the average cost of an in-person visit, while a specialist visit via telehealth was $120 less than an in-person visit, the payer found.