Cigna + Oscar To Launch Virtual Primary Care Offering

Health insurance providers Cigna and Oscar are rolling out Oscar Virtual Primary Care for small businesses in Tennessee and Georgia on some Cigna + Oscar plans starting next year, the companies announced in a Thursday (July 22) press release.

Cigna and Oscar announced their partnership early in 2020, branding the offering Cigna + Oscar. Oscar filed for an initial public offering last year and closed Thursday (July 22) at $20.15 per share.

Oscar’s Virtual Primary Care allows patients to schedule unlimited appointments with primary care physicians, both virtually and in-person. Members can manage chronic conditions, receive preventive care and coordinate specialty care.

“We’ve seen a huge shift in how care is delivered over the past few years,” Oscar Chief Operating Officer and EVP of Platform Meghan Joyce said in the announcement. “Today, people are more likely to engage with a virtual provider than ever before. These plans offer more convenience at a lower cost, by empowering members to access a doctor that knows them, right on their smartphone, 24/7.”

According to PYMNTS research, 78 percent of consumers prefer in-person healthcare services to telehealth ones. Patients returning to their healthcare providers’ offices have spent more than a year with access to digital tools that have enhanced their access to healthcare services, such as telehealth options.

Consumers — especially younger ones — continue to show a keen interest in using digital methods to save time and communicate with their healthcare providers. Bridge millennials and younger patients exhibited an increased interest in several key actions: reviewing their medical histories digitally, (rising from 64 percent in November 2020 to 68 percent in April 2021), filling out medical forms digitally (rising from 58 percent to 60 percent), communicating with healthcare providers securely (rising from 63 percent to 65 percent) and receiving payment notifications (rising from 59 percent to 60 percent).