ORLANDO, Fla., 13 February, 2019 - Global health service company Cigna and Express Scripts, a Cigna company, today announced new efforts to expand prescriber access to real-time pharmacy information to help customers save money on their prescription medications.

During “Views from the Top” panel discussion today on price transparency at the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference, Cigna Chief Clinical Officer, Steve Miller, M.D., explained the importance of ensuring prescribers having accurate cost and therapeutic alternative information in this era of consumer-driven health and value-based care, so patients have an easier experience and are more likely to remain adherent to therapy.

“At Cigna and Express Scripts, we believe creating a better pharmacy experience begins at the point-of-care, when physicians are making crucial decisions with their patients,” said Dr. Miller. “Whether delivering real-time benefit information to more than 105,000 prescribers1 in their electronic health record, rendering prior authorization decisions electronically within minutes, or providing clinical care messages, like drug interactions and high-risk medication alerts, we’re simplifying the prescribing experience so doctors can focus on what matters most.”

Cigna’s Network of Providers Gain Access to Real-Time Prescription Benefit

Cigna’s network of health care providers who e-prescribe can now access real-time, patient-specific medication coverage and cost information within their electronic health record (EHR) or e-prescribing platform using Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit. The prescribing clinician can access critical medication information, such as lower-cost alternatives, home delivery pharmacy or retail pharmacy cost options, and other clinical information, such as prior authorization requirements, while engaged with their patients before prescriptions are finalized.

“Strengthening medication adherence is critical to improving the health and well-being of the people we serve. When health care providers can have an informed discussion with their patients in real-time, people better understand their medication and surprises at the pharmacy are eliminated,” said Scott Josephs, MD, chief medical officer at Cigna.

With connections to the country’s leading pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the accurate, patient-specific information delivered to health care providers through Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit is available for 76 percent2 of all U.S. patients. In 2018, prescribers used the tool to perform more than 40 million3 prescription benefit checks at the point of care, saving patients as much as $8,0324 on a single prescription.

Express Scripts ScriptVision SM

The ScriptVision suite of solutions enables physicians and personalizes care through delivering digital, data-driven capabilities right into physicians’ workflow. These capabilities, including Real-Time Prescription Benefit, Electronic Prior Authorization and Clinical Direct Messaging, give physicians real-time visibility to information they need to make better clinical and cost-effective decisions with patients, right in the exam room.

“Express Scripts is proud to have been the first PBM in the market to bring Surescripts Real-Time Prescription Benefit information directly to physicians in their EHRs back in 2016,” said Lynne Nowak, M.D., chief physician experience officer, Express Scripts. “This technology provides patient-specific information at the point of prescribing including patient out-of-pocket costs, coverage alerts, and therapeutic options. Real-Time Prescription Benefit is just one of our data-driven technologies built to remove barriers to care and champion a simplified experience for physicians and patients.”

New to this suite of solutions is the ScriptVisionTM (beta) physician app, which provides prescribers without EHR access similar real-time prescription benefit functionality within a mobile application. While we are reaching hundreds of thousands of prescribers through an EHR, there are still many more who do not have access to this information and we want to close that gap. In the beta version of the app, prescribers gain access to patient-specific benefit information for people with a pharmacy benefit plan managed by Express Scripts. Within seconds, the prescriber will see accurate pricing in real-time by drug and pharmacy channel, in addition to relevant coverage alerts (such as step therapy) and potential therapeutic alternatives.

“We believe our ScriptVision physician app will help many more physicians easily access their patients’ prescription benefit information, right in their mobile device,” says Nowak. “Collectively, all of our digital provider solutions were built to simplify the prescribing process and provide more patient-specific information at the point of care, which leads to better medication safety, better formulary compliance, higher patient medication adherence, and overall improved physician and customer satisfaction.”

“Medications don’t work if people can’t pay for them, or are forced to wait for them and never pick them up,” explained Tom Skelton, Chief Executive Officer of Surescripts. “Many Americans are abandoning their prescriptions at the pharmacy or skipping doses when the cost is too high, or when prior authorization causes delays. The good news is that prescribers now have prescription price transparency tools at their fingertips, so their patients can get the medications they need, at an affordable price, faster and with less hassle.”

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind for those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance.

Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 160 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

Surescripts is not an affiliate of Cigna Corporation.

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1 Surescripts 2018 Impact Report: Prescription Price Transparency.” February 2018. Price Transparency Impact Report, page 6

2 Surescripts 2018 Impact Report: Prescription Price Transparency.” February 2018. Price Transparency Impact Report, page 6

3 Surescripts 2018 Impact Report: Prescription Price Transparency.” February 2018. Price Transparency Impact Report, page 7

4 Data Brief: Price Transparency Boosts Patient Savings and Prescriber Efficiency.” December 2018. http://surescripts.com/docs/default-source/pressrelease-library/realtimeprescriptionbenefit_patientsavingsresults_databrief_11-2018.pdf