Cigna Healthcare Unveils Industry-Leading AI-Powered Digital Tools for a Simple and Reliable Customer Experience

Rhea-AI Summary

Cigna Healthcare (NYSE: CI) has unveiled new AI-powered digital tools to enhance customer experience in health insurance interactions. The rollout includes an industry-first generative AI virtual assistant, with early results showing 67% adoption and 80% satisfaction rates. Key features include personalized provider matching, real-time cost tracking, smart claim submission, and plan selection support. The initiative addresses a critical need, as research shows only 20% of U.S. adults feel confident in understanding their health insurance benefits. The new features, available through the myCigna portal, aim to simplify healthcare navigation while providing clear, conversational guidance. For complex cases, Cigna is expanding access to My Personal Champion advocates and investing in centralized agent teams for administrative support.

Positive

• Early adoption shows strong user engagement with 67% of customers using the AI virtual assistant
• 80% of users found the AI virtual assistant helpful in addressing their queries
• Implementation of comprehensive AI governance framework ensures responsible technology deployment
• New tools address a significant market need, as 80% of U.S. adults lack confidence in understanding health insurance
• Early access feature allows new customers to prepare and plan healthcare needs before plan activation

Negative

• The digital tools are being released in a phased rollout, indicating not all features are immediately available
• Integration of provider matching with AI Virtual Assistant is still pending
• The system may require additional human support for complex health needs

Insights

Healthcare Technology Analyst

Cigna's AI tools address critical health insurance literacy gap, improving customer experience while potentially reducing service costs and strengthening competitive position.

Cigna Healthcare's rollout of AI-powered digital tools represents a strategic investment in customer experience transformation at a critical time. The company's research revealing only 20% of U.S. adults feel confident in their health insurance knowledge underscores the significant market need these tools address.

The suite of digital innovations tackles key friction points in the healthcare journey. The generative AI virtual assistant shows promising early adoption with 67% of customers using it proactively and 80%+ finding it valuable. This implementation goes beyond basic chatbots by providing personalized, conversational guidance while maintaining human connections when needed.

The provider matching tool and real-time cost tracking features directly address transparency issues that have long plagued healthcare insurance. Meanwhile, the smart claim submission system leverages document intelligence technology to reduce administrative burden—a persistent pain point for customers.

From a business perspective, these tools create a dual advantage: improved customer satisfaction and potential operational efficiencies. By automating routine inquiries and transactions, Cigna likely reduces call center volume while freeing human advocates to handle complex cases. The dedicated services for customers with chronic conditions acknowledges the limitations of digital-only approaches for complex healthcare journeys.

The company's implementation through a phased rollout and within a comprehensive AI governance framework demonstrates a measured approach to technology adoption, balancing innovation with responsible deployment. This positions Cigna as a technology leader in the health insurance space, potentially creating competitive differentiation in an industry where customer experience has traditionally lagged other sectors.

Digital Health Strategist

Cigna's digital transformation strategy directly addresses the health literacy crisis revealed in their research, where a staggering 80% of adults lack confidence in understanding their health benefits. This initiative isn't merely technological window dressing—it targets fundamental pain points that drive customer dissatisfaction and inefficiency.

The company's implementation approach shows sophistication in balancing AI automation with human support. Their virtual assistant achieving a 67% proactive adoption rate significantly exceeds typical healthcare tool engagement metrics, while the 80%+ helpfulness rating indicates strong initial value delivery. Most healthcare chatbots struggle with much lower satisfaction scores.

The end-to-end digital ecosystem Cigna is building creates reinforcing value across the customer journey. By connecting provider matching with the AI assistant, and integrating cost tracking with claim submission, they're creating a cohesive experience rather than disconnected point solutions. The pre-enrollment access feature is particularly strategic, addressing the critical onboarding period where member confusion typically peaks.

What's most notable is Cigna's recognition that digital transformation isn't solely about technology deployment but requires corresponding operational changes. The expansion of dedicated advocates for complex cases and centralized agent teams for administrative needs demonstrates an understanding that technology and human services must evolve together.

While competitors have implemented similar individual features, Cigna's comprehensive approach—spanning from plan selection to claims processing—positions them to potentially establish new industry standards for digital experience in healthcare insurance, traditionally an industry with significant customer experience challenges.

• New features blend innovation, responsible AI, and human interactions to better support customers in their health care journeys
  
  
• As new data show 4 out of 5 U.S. adults don't feel confident in their knowledge of health insurance benefits, new digital tools use clear, conversational language to boost understanding and help customers get more out of their coverage

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., June 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Cigna Healthcare, the health benefits division of The Cigna Group (NYSE: CI), is introducing a series of new digital features to improve the customer experience during common health insurance interactions, such as checking benefits coverage, estimating costs and finding care. These enhancements are designed to provide a reliably simple experience for everyday needs and are an important step in delivering on the company's commitment to make health care easier for customers.

"We're committed to making our customers' experiences simpler, seamless and more reliable," said Heather Dlugolenski, chief strategy officer, Cigna Healthcare. "That's why we're creating smarter, more connected digital experiences that anticipate our customers' needs while bringing clarity and compassion to everyday moments."

The new digital features, which were developed with rigorous research and testing within a comprehensive artificial intelligence (AI) governance framework, are being made available in a phased rollout through Cigna Healthcare's myCigna member portal. They include:

• AI-Powered Virtual Assistant: More than a chatbot, this industry-first generative AI tool provides clear, conversational and personalized answers to common questions about benefits coverage, claims and care options. If additional assistance is needed, the virtual assistant seamlessly connects customers to a customer service advocate. Early results show that 2 out of 3 customers who had access to the virtual assistant used it proactively, and more than 4 out of 5 found it helpful. 
• Personalized Provider Matching: This proprietary matching tool gives customers a tailored list of in-network providers and care delivery methods based on their specific health care needs and preferences. The tool will be integrated soon with the AI Virtual Assistant to help customers quickly find relevant care.
• Real-Time Cost Tracking: This redesigned tool provides a simple breakdown of deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses, and integrated bill payments, helping customers track their costs in real time and estimate costs with providers and specialists before engaging.
• Smart Claim Submission: This user-friendly feature enables customers to upload bills they receive from physicians and other providers, such as chiropractors or therapists. The tool reads the bill, auto-fills claim details for easy submission, and provides digital updates using plain language on claim statuses and decisions.
• Plan Selection Support: Customers who get their health insurance through their employer can compare prices, search for providers, and estimate their potential health care costs when selecting their benefits plan. This helps customers make more informed plan decisions during the open enrollment period. 
• Early Access to myCigna for New Customers: Customers new to Cigna Healthcare and those with changes to their benefits plans can sign into the myCigna member portal before their plan effective date so they can better plan their health care needs in advance and add their digital ID card to their Apple or Google wallets or provider portals for less paperwork.

"Everyday moments in health care need to be easier," said Katya Andresen, chief digital and analytics officer at The Cigna Group. "Customers need to be met where they are with experiences that are adapted to their unique needs. While there is still a lot of work to do to simplify health care, these enhancements are a significant step in our journey to transform the experience and put customers at the heart of it."

Recent research by Cigna Healthcare reveals that only 1 in 5 U.S. adults feel confident in their ability to understand, evaluate and effectively use health care services. The report found that the more a person understands their health insurance, the more effectively they can navigate the health care ecosystem, leading to better health outcomes, fewer financial surprises and higher overall vitality. By offering intuitive, personalized digital tools that use clear, conversational language, Cigna Healthcare aims to help consumers get more value out of their health insurance benefits and navigate the healthcare ecosystem more effectively. 

For customers with complex health needs, such as managing a chronic condition or navigating a serious diagnosis, Cigna Healthcare is expanding access to dedicated My Personal Champion advocates. The company is also investing in new centralized agent teams to help customers more quickly resolve administrative needs, including prior authorizations and post-care claims.

The Cigna Group's broader technology strategy has long aimed to transform and improve health care delivery to create a more personalized, seamless and connected health care experience that empowers customers to improve their overall health and vitality. The strategy's flexibility allows the company to adapt and lean into the changing needs and expectations of the millions of people it serves, such as delivering on the commitments it made earlier this year to meaningfully improve the customer experience.

About Cigna Healthcare 

Cigna Healthcare is a health benefits provider that advocates for better health through every stage of life. We guide our customers through the health care system, empowering them with the information and insight they need to make the best choices for improving their health and vitality. Products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI), including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Evernorth Health companies or their affiliates, and 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 others. Learn more at cignahealthcare.com. 

Media Contact

Kelly Mathews
Kelly.mathews@evernorth.com
423-260-9267

 

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SOURCE Cigna Healthcare

FAQ

What new digital features is Cigna Healthcare (CI) introducing in their myCigna portal?

Cigna is introducing an AI-powered virtual assistant, personalized provider matching, real-time cost tracking, smart claim submission, plan selection support, and early access for new customers to the myCigna portal.

How successful has the adoption of Cigna's (CI) new AI virtual assistant been?

Early results show that 2 out of 3 customers who had access to the virtual assistant used it proactively, and more than 4 out of 5 found it helpful.

What percentage of U.S. adults understand their health insurance benefits according to Cigna's research?

According to Cigna's research, only 1 in 5 (20%) U.S. adults feel confident in their ability to understand, evaluate and effectively use health care services.

How does Cigna's (CI) Smart Claim Submission feature work?

The Smart Claim Submission feature allows customers to upload medical bills, automatically fills claim details for easy submission, and provides plain-language updates on claim statuses and decisions.

What support does Cigna (CI) offer for customers with complex health needs?

Cigna offers dedicated My Personal Champion advocates for complex cases and is investing in centralized agent teams to help resolve administrative needs, including prior authorizations and post-care claims.