Looking to the mental health arena, Cigna has teamed up with Happify Health and Prevail in order to give clients new digital platforms that aim to tackle stress, anxiety and depression. In January 2019, the payer plans to roll Happify and iPrevail into its Cigna Total Behavioral Health program. 

Happify helps users maintain well-being and targets preventing diagnosable mental health conditions, according to a statement. Users can access activities and games as well as medication apps.

Prevail gives users on-demand trained peers and wellness coaches. It can specifically help with depression and substance abuse.  

Users will be able to choose the digital platform that best suits their needs, according to Cigna.

Why it matters

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health concerns in the US. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects 40 million adults in the US every year, making it the most common mental illness in the country. However, only about 37 percent of people with the condition seek help. Stigma and staffing shortages have been obstacles to preventing mental health care. 

What's the trend

Cigna has taken an active interest in digital health, as evidenced by the handful of deals the company has made recently with health-focused platforms.

Yesterday, for instance, Cigna announced that it has teamed up with Wildflower Health to develop Cigna’s Health Pregnancy app. Recently the companies announced that the Healthy Baby program, which is available through the app, saved an average of $2,000 per participant and $43,000 in savings per participant identified as at-risk for preterm delivery. 

In September the payer also announced that it was working with digital diabetes prevention program Omada Health to expand their relationship and offer Omada’s services to all of Cigna’s regional and national employer customers. 

Cigna has been making its way into the space through acquisitions as well. In December, Cigna announced that it had acquired digital health software-as-a-service company Brighter.

On the record

“By enhancing the connection between mind and body, we can help people prevent serious health conditions and improve overall health and well-being,” Dr. Scott Josephs, national medical officer at Cigna, said in a statement. “We put the individual customer at the center of everything we do, and will continue to focus on delivering personalized tools and services to support the whole person in a simple and meaningful way.”