The coverage change aims to reduce members’ opioid use. Cigna is in the process of notifying patients with OxyContin prescriptions and their physicians of the change.
Members who are already using OxyContin for hospice or cancer care will not be affected in 2018. Cigna will also consider covering OxyContin if a members’ physician deems it medically necessary.
“Our focus is on helping customers get the most value from their medications — this means obtaining effective pain relief while also guarding against opioid misuse,” said Jon Maesner, PharmD, Cigna’s chief pharmacy officer. “We continually evaluate the clinical effectiveness, affordability and safety of all our covered medications as these characteristics can change over time, and we make adjustments that we believe will provide better overall value for those we serve.”
More articles on payer issues:
Hartford HealthCare, Aetna reach in-network deal
Augusta Health to terminate in-network contract with Anthem
Sanford Health, HealthPartners team up for Medicare plans
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