Health Unscripted Podcast

Innovation, integration and improving health system performance

The U.S. leads the world in biomedical breakthroughs, digital health innovation, and R&D investment, yet continues to struggle with delivering consistent, equitable health outcomes. In this episode of Health Unscripted, Edmund Skowronek III, senior advisor of policy communications at The Cigna Group, speaks with Amanda Stucke, Health and Society Principal at Economist Enterprise, about new research that offers a fresh framework for understanding health system performance. Together, they explore why innovation alone isn’t enough, what determines whether new solutions translate into real-world improvements, and how the U.S. compares globally. For employers, policymakers, and healthcare leaders, this conversation offers new insights into how health systems can better connect innovation to care and improve outcomes for patients.

Menopause, mental health, and the modern workplace

In this episode of Health Unscripted, Wendy Sherry, CEO, Global Health Benefits, International Health, Cigna Healthcare, and Eva Borden, chief product officer, U.S. Employer, Cigna Healthcare, discuss the impact menopause and perimenopause are having on women’s mental health and how employers can help improve the mental health, vitality, and productivity of the women in their workforce.

• Transcript

The hidden cost of anxiety: How employers can make a difference

Anxiety can significantly affect an individual’s health and well-being, creating workplace challenges that reduce productivity and hinder overall business performance. With nearly a third of the workforce living with anxiety, accessible mental health support is essential to strengthen employee vitality and drive business success. In this episode of Health Unscripted, Jason Youngblood, director of Behavioral Clinical Account Management at Cigna Healthcare, joins Jenna Glover, PhD, chief clinical officer at Headspace, for a conversation about anxiety in the workforce, including how it affects daily life, as well as practical strategies individuals and employers can use to support mental health and well-being.

• Transcript

Staying in the game: A conversation with Matt Perlberg and WNBA star Lexie Brown

Managing a chronic condition doesn’t stop when life gets busy or when travel is part of your routine. WNBA star Lexie Brown knows this first-hand. In the latest episode of the Health Unscripted podcast, host Matt Perlberg, president of pharmacy and care delivery at Evernorth Health Services, sits down with Brown to explore the challenges of meeting the physical demands of playing professional basketball while managing Crohn's disease, and how Accredo Specialty Pharmacy helps her manage treatment while traveling frequently for games and training. Tune in for a candid conversation about basketball, resilience, and living with a chronic condition.

A new era of pharmacy benefits: Lowering prescription drug costs for Americans

In this episode of Health Unscripted, Adam Kautzner, president of care management and Express Scripts at Evernorth, the health services division of The Cigna Group, unpacks a recent announcement that will significantly transform the pharmacy benefits landscape. Evernorth’s new pharmacy benefits model will make all drug discounts available up front, so Americans pay less at the pharmacy counter. It also includes a new performance-based approach for pharmacy reimbursement aimed at strengthening community care. Tune in to explore the effects of this new model, including lower costs for brand-name medicines, improved medication adherence, greater transparency, and lower costs.

The employer advantage: Prioritizing oral health for employee wellness

There is a clear connection between oral health and overall well-being. New research from Cigna Healthcare shows that people with mental health disorders, for example, often use dental services less frequently. Additionally, factors affecting mental and oral health share common attributes, suggesting that integrated medical, dental, and behavioral health treatment can lead to better overall health outcomes. In this episode of Health Unscripted, our host Jason Youngblood, director of behavioral account management at Cigna Healthcare, sits down with Dr. Cary Sun, a dentist and the chief dental officer at Cigna Healthcare, to talk about the evolving dental care landscape and the implications for employers.

Enhancing understanding of health insurance among the U.S. workforce

The complexity of the U.S. health care system can make it difficult for people to understand their health benefits, affecting individual health and work productivity. With 164 million Americans relying on employer-sponsored health benefits, enhancing health insurance literacy is essential for improving overall health and business success. In this episode of Health Unscripted, Bryan Holgerson, president of Cigna Healthcare U.S., discusses how employers can boost health insurance literacy and offers strategies for doing so.

Navigating the complexities of GLP-1s

In this episode of Health Unscripted, Tim Harlan, vice president of account management for health plans at Express Scripts by Evernorth, sits down with Dr. Gerry Stanley, chief medical officer, and Ashley Holzworth-Nash, vice president of retail network product strategy and solutions for a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities within the GLP-1 landscape. Discover actionable strategies to optimize coverage, control costs, and support better patient outcomes.

Improving mental health and vitality is a CEO-level imperative

In this episode of Health Unscripted, David Cordani, chairman and CEO of The Cigna Group, sits down with Eva Borden, president of behavioral health at Evernorth Health Services, to explore the state of vitality and the depths of the mental health crisis in America – and how U.S. employers are well-positioned to help drive better, more sustainable outcomes.

Making health care better

As advocates for improving access, affordability, and outcomes, Evernorth Health Services is taking on some of the biggest challenges in the health care industry, including rising costs and fragmented care. In this episode, Eric Palmer, president and CEO of Evernorth, and executive vice president for enterprise strategy for The Cigna Group, discusses why the company is well positioned to improve health care experiences and outcomes while driving down costs. He debunks some of the biggest misconceptions about pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs), discusses how data-driven insights can help personalize care, and outlines how Evernorth’s specialty pharmacy capabilities set it apart from the competition.

Employers are uniquely positioned to help improve workforce mental health

U.S. employers are uniquely positioned to enable and empower employees to get the mental health care, services, and support they need to achieve their best health – which in turn fuels higher productivity and performance and positions the organization for growth. In this episode of Health Unscripted, Jason Youngblood, director of behavioral clinical account management at Cigna Healthcare and a licensed behavioral health clinician, sits down with Marci Guertin, behavioral health product strategy director, to talk about the state of mental health in the U.S. workforce and provide actionable tips for how employers can improve their employees’ mental health, vitality, and productivity.

For a healthy workforce, curbing the youth mental health crisis is imperative

When young people struggle with their mental health, the ripple effect reaches beyond the people close to them to workplaces, schools, and communities. Employers in the United States spend more than $200B annually on behavioral health care for employees and their dependents, and shoulder additional costs from lost productivity, missed work, and more. Yet, despite this enormous spend, the number of American children and young adults struggling with mental health issues continues to grow. In this episode of Health Unscripted, Evernorth’s Eva Borden explores new data from the Evernorth Research Institute that reveals the depths of the challenges working parents face as they care for children with mental health concerns – and how U.S. employers are uniquely well-positioned to help drive better, more sustainable behavioral health outcomes.

Health equity: Giving each person every opportunity to live well

A person’s gender, race, education, income, or ZIP code should never dictate the quality of their health. But the sad truth is that 68% of Americans report that challenges meeting social needs have harmed their health in the last year. While numerous factors can impede the quest for better health, physical, environmental, and social and economic factors – known as social determinants of health (SDOH) – have a more significant collective impact on health and health outcomes than clinical care. In this episode of the Health Unscripted Podcast, Dr. Neema Stephens and Brooke Tomblin of The Cigna Group explore the health equity landscape – including industry challenges, barriers to care, and ways The Cigna Group is partnering with customers, clients, and communities to transform the way care is accessed, delivered, and coordinated.

Top health care trends of 2024 and how they will impact U.S. employers and the U.S. workforce

Increasing health care costs, issues accessing and navigating care, and a growing need for convenience are driving people to demand more as they seek care that meets their needs and preferences. At the same time, data and technology are powering a health care transformation with the potential to drive greater access, engagement, and innovation, to improve health outcomes for patients, and to reduce costs for the employers who provide health insurance to their workforce and their families. In this episode of the Health Unscripted Podcast, Heather Dlugolenski of Cigna Healthcare explores a number of trends employers should keep an eye on in 2024 and beyond.

Retaining high vitality employees

Vitality is a person’s ability to live life with health, strength, and energy – and in the world of work, it equates to high-performing, motivated, and healthy employees. That’s a key finding from the 2023 Vitality in America report, which is based on a survey of 10,000 adults conducted by Morning Consult and commissioned by The Cigna Group. In this episode of the Health Unscripted Podcast, Kathryn Rider of The Cigna Group walks us through some of the key findings of this year's report, as well as key insights around how to engage and delight high vitality employees in order to drive your business forward in 2024.

Leading with gratitude

Gratitude in leadership can increase employee productivity and create a more engaged workforce. According to a survey, 81% of employees said they're more motivated to do good work when leadership shows appreciation. Unfortunately, 59% of employees say they have never had a boss who “truly appreciates” them. On this episode of the Health Unscripted Podcast, Paul Sanford, executive vice president of operations at The Cigna Group, sits down with Doug Woodard, senior vice president of customer experience and operations, to explore why gratitude is one of the most powerful leadership skills, what it means to lead with gratitude, and how to embed gratitude into every day interactions with the people you work with.

What America’s seniors can teach us about vitality

Stereotypes and reality are often at odds – which is certainly the case with popular depictions of senior citizens living diminished lives. In fact, research from The Cigna Group has found that people 65 and older are more likely than younger people to cultivate healthy lifestyles, have strong communities of friends and families, have positive relations with their doctors, and have more financial freedom than any other age group. As such, most seniors display a strong sense of emotional stability and can bounce back from setbacks with resilience. New research from The Cigna Group finds seniors exhibit a higher degree of vitality than any other age group, giving them with the ability to pursue life with health, strength, and energy. In this episode, Dr. J.B. Sobel, chief medical officer for Cigna Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage business, discusses this research on vitality with Dr. Grant Tarbox, a national medical executive with Cigna Healthcare’s Medicare Advantage business.

Navigating the rising demand for specialty drugs

The number of specialty drugs on the market has increased by 280% over the last two decades, offering new hope to patients with chronic, serious, and sometimes life-threatening conditions. Cost can be a barrier to these groundbreaking treatments, however. While less than 2% of the population uses specialty drugs, those prescriptions account for 51% of total pharmacy spending. In this episode, Matt Perlberg, president of the Evernorth Health Services pharmacy businesses, discusses what specialty pharmacies do, the specialty drug pipeline, and how Evernorth’s specialty pharmacy capabilities help patients and their plan sponsors get the most out of these innovative medicines in the most cost-effective way.

Digging into the human side of digital experience

Health is extremely personal, emotional, and it means something different to every individual. On the other hand, health care can often feel impersonal, fragmented, and complex. As a result, it lags far behind other industries in meeting consumer expectations. In this episode of the Health Unscripted Podcast, Katya Andresen, chief digital and analytics officer at The Cigna Group, discusses achieving customer-centricity in health care – starting with the consumer and their needs, then building diverse teams to get the best (but not always the easiest) answer or solution.

Why environmental, social, and governance is mission critical to business

Over the last decade, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) has become an increasingly foundational part of global business. A recent survey found 82% of corporate respondents listed investor demand among their top three reasons for engaging with ESG raters, with ESG gaining prominence among consumers, investors, and employees alike. In this episode, Nancy Oliphant Ryan, ESG leader at The Cigna Group, explores why ESG is a mission-critical focus area for businesses and ways leaders can identify and align ESG to their company values. She also highlights The Cigna Group’s approach to ESG, and shares her thoughts on the future of ESG.