Evernorth Health Services, the pharmacy, care and benefits solutions division of The Cigna Group, has introduced measurement-based care programme for its behavioral health network to enhance patient outcomes.

The launch marks a key step for Evernorth in collaborating with providers as the industry seeks to standardise benchmarks in behavioral health care. 

Evernorth said the new programme aims to align on treatment measurements to help improve cost, care, and collaboration, while eliminating administrative burdens for healthcare providers.

The company anticipates the measurement-based care programme, which is also referred to as value-based care, to see participation from about 44,000 providers including therapists, behavioral health coaches, and prescribers.

Evernorth Behavioral Health president Eva Borden said: “Right now, there is a lack of consistent, repeatable measures – that are broadly agreed upon – resulting in more administrative work, and less trust, from our provider partners. We are creating a programme that will deliver best-in-class clinical outcomes and multi-stakeholder affordability.”

Evernorth said it has identified key metrics for the programme. These metrics will ensure quick access for customers to quality care, including minimising the time to get an appointment, avoidance of a higher level of care, and increasing the total cost-of-care savings.  

Over time, the programme will add these measures as Evernorth engages with providers, the company noted.

Evernorth Behavioral Health chief medical officer Dr Doug Nemecek said: “We are identifying the most important measurements at each point in the patient journey and creating standard ways to capture them.

“We want our providers to be focused on patient care and not on paperwork, and we plan to incorporate measurement in ways that minimize the administrative burdens and maximise the benefits for providers and patients. By embedding shared metrics in the customer journey, both payers and providers will develop insights into access and outcomes that will benefit everyone.”