Cigna members can now tap into mental health services via Ginger app

On-demand behavioral health and fitness system Ginger is now readily available as a health and fitness profit for Cigna’s 14 million associates, the companies declared today.

Customers with Cigna’s employer-sponsored or person and loved ones insurance policies strategies can now entry Ginger’s behavioral health and fitness coaching, therapy and psychiatry companies as an in-community profit.

“Cigna’s mission is to increase the health and fitness, nicely-becoming and peace of brain of individuals we serve by building healthcare uncomplicated, cost-effective and predictable,” Dr. Doug Nemecek, the chief medical officer for behavioral health and fitness at Cigna, stated in a statement.

“Right now, additional than at any time, people today are trying to get out psychological health and fitness help, and our relationship with Ginger makes additional entry to that care, when and where consumers will need it.”

Intrigued associates can down load the Ginger application and deliver their insurance policies data to achieve entry to the total suite of companies.

WHY THIS Issues

Need for behavioral healthcare has been on the increase through the pandemic. In truth, additional than 40% of U.S. grown ups noted indications of anxiety or depressive disorder, when compared to just 11% in the months prior to the outbreak, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study.

“We are going through a nationwide source-demand crisis in psychological healthcare, with demand reaching unprecedented stages, and less suppliers getting into the industry than at any time before,” Russell Glass, CEO of Ginger, stated in a statement.

“We are happy to partner with top businesses like Cigna that figure out not only the scope of the nation’s psychological health and fitness crisis, but the worth of taking a preventative method to this obstacle. Collectively, we are opening up entry to amazing psychological healthcare for millions at a portion of the price of traditional care.”

The Ginger system presents about-the-clock textual content-based mostly behavioral health and fitness coaching with a trained behavioral health and fitness professional. If needed, consumers can escalate their care to incorporate virtual remedy or psychiatry, with at-residence prescription supply readily available via Capsule.

It also consists of an on the web library of skill-making methods on subject areas these types of as mindfulness, interactions and present situations.

THE Greater Development

The two companies have been doing work jointly for some time now, with Cigna Ventures investing in Ginger’s $fifty million increase past calendar year.

Extra not too long ago, Ginger scored $a hundred million in a Collection E funding round with strategies to construct partnerships in the insurance policies area.

This is also not Cigna’s initially foray into electronic health and fitness. Before this calendar year, its health and fitness companies subsidiary Evernorth obtained the telehealth provider MDLive.

Wellness plans’ curiosity in electronic behavioral health and fitness is increasing and past calendar year UnitedHealth Group’s Optum ordered AbleTo for around $470 million.