Healthcare DIVE August 5, 2021
Dive Brief:
- Cigna executives said Thursday that COVID-19-related costs were higher than expected in the second quarter, as was the amount of care not directly related to the virus as patients returned for services.
- Still, the payer reported a 10% year-over-year increase in revenue to $43.1 billion, beating Wall Street expectations. The growth was driven primarily by its health services segment, Evernorth, which CEO David Cordani said was “clearly a standout” on a Thursday morning call with investors.
- Use of behavioral health services among customers was up 40% in the quarter. Executives said on the call that they viewed this as a growth opportunity going forward as well, particularly for virtual visits considering Cigna’s acquisition of MDLive in February. ...