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.
Apr 22, 2025•38 min•Season 2Ep. 2
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.
Apr 04, 2025•10 min•Season 1Ep. 15
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 misconc...
Nov 22, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 14
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...
Oct 10, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 13
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 ...
Jun 20, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 12
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...
Mar 26, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 11
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 thi...
Feb 15, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 10
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 ...
Jan 30, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 9
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 exper...
Nov 30, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 8
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 stabilit...
Oct 20, 2023•19 min•Season 1Ep. 7
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 ...
Sep 12, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 6
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 di...
Aug 07, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 5
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 ide...
Jul 17, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Employers have a significant role to play in advancing equity and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 46% of LGBTQ+ workers are closeted at work and 13% feel that if they were honest about their sexuality, they would be fired. This is compounded by the fact that the LGBTQ+ community is more likely to report a lack of cultural competence by health care providers and is more likely to report poor quality of care and unfair treatment. In our latest episode of...
Jun 05, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Poor mental health in the workforce can have a negative impact on a company’s bottom line. For example, research shows that employers experience significant reductions in workplace productivity from employees with symptoms of major depression. The problem is that 45% of American adults struggling with mental health conditionsThis link will open in a new tab. are also struggling to find the care they need. In this episode of the Health Unscripted Podcast, Eva Borden, president of Behavioral Healt...
May 08, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Today's workers want to feel meaningfully connected to the work they do. A recent Harris Poll proves it: 84% of respondents said they would only work for a purpose-driven company. In the first episode of "Health Unscripted," a new podcast from The Cigna Group, chairman and CEO David Cordani shares his perspective on leading a purpose-driven organization. During the discussion, he explores his personal and professional experience with the nonprofit organization Achilles International and reflects...
Apr 26, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1
