How PBMs Are Helping Patients During COVID-19

Host JC Scott speaks with Tim Wentworth, the president of Cigna Express Scripts and Cigna Services, about how Cigna--along with the entire pharmaceutical industry--are addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. Wentworth is optimistic that the ingenuity of the US healthcare system can combat COVID-19 and that current industry-wide collaborations can survive beyond the current pandemic. Some key points from the conversation include:

Cigna Continues to Put the Patient First During COVID-19: Since the start of the outbreak in March, Cigna has focused on the safety of its employees, customers, and most of all, patients. Wentworth emphasizes that Cigna is dynamically managing the supply chain and acting flexibly and nimbly to ensure pharmaceutical access to the clients. It is also working with federal and state officials to ensure a balanced pharmaceutical policy.

The Pharmaceutical Industry is Collaborating To Address the Current Health Crisis: Wentworth is optimistic about the cooperation between industry members to ensure the patients continue to receive care. For example, Cigna is now collaborating with retail pharmacies to put in place a new program with deep discounts for uninsured patients. The entire industry is working to ensure that those suffering from healthcare and economic fallouts from COVID-19 are not forgotten. He believes that such collaboration can continue in the future.

US Health Sector Innovation Is the Best Bet Against COVID-19: US biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are working in an unprecedented manner to find solutions to COVID-19. Wentworth believes that Cigna, and the entire industry, will find a way to ensure access to COVID-19 for its patients. He stresses that it is a public health decision more than it is a commercial decision.

You can subscribe to The Pharmacy Benefit on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and all other major platforms.