The Cigna Group is expanding its use of artificial intelligence to identify emerging health needs earlier and guide members toward appropriate care as healthcare costs remain elevated. Cigna expects the expanded AI-enabled care coordination capabilities to reach 20% more customers with emerging complex health needs, and says customers participating in these programs have reduced medical costs by about $2,000 annually on average, while early engagement has contributed to a 42% reduction in avoidable inpatient stays. The company is also applying AI to specialty pharmacy through Pharmacy Forward, an initiative it expects to cut average time to therapy by half while reducing clinicians' documentation time by as much as 50%. Cigna said its medical cost trend remained elevated in the second quarter of 2026, with management expecting elevated trends through 2026 and 2027, while its MCR deteriorated 130 basis points year over year. Among competitors, UnitedHealth Group plans nearly $1.5 billion in AI-related investment in 2026, and Humana is using its Agent Assist solution, built on Google Cloud AI, to speed member support.
Humana Inc
UnitedHealth Group IncorporatedCigna CorpCigna said its medical cost trend stayed elevated and its MCR deteriorated 130 basis points year over year.
