LAS VEGAS—Cigna Healthcare's chief medical officer, Amy Flaster, M.D., joined the insurer at a difficult time for the industry.
Flaster stepped into the CMO role in December as health plans grappled with a wave of public outcry and frustration following the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
She said in the wake of the shooting and public conversation that followed, the insurer "took time to reflect" on what its customers and society as a whole were saying and used that as fuel to make several "commitments to better" that are powering the company's work moving forward.
"I think it was also an interesting turning point at Cigna, where we heard a lot of feedback and loud voices coming from society, from our customers, wanting to see a better system that serves their needs more efficiently, more effectively," Flaster said in an interview with Fierce Healthcare at AHIP 2025.
"Cigna reacted, I think, exactly as you would want a healthcare organization to react, with listening ears and an orientation to hearing what society was saying, not from a posture that was defensive," Flaster said.
Meanwhile, Cigna Chief Health Officer David Brailer, M.D., Ph.D., is leading the charge on the company's "pledge to better," which is built on five pillars:
- Easier access to care
- Better support
- Better value
- Accountability
- Transparency
Flaster said those focus areas dovetail with her team's objectives for driving better experiences for members from a clinical point of view.
"My goal and my leadership vision is to continue to escalate our provider-centricity and our patient-centricity, and so to be in a moment where the entire industry is turning its face towards that is a privilege," she said.
Within the pledge's pillars, Cigna made additional specific commitments in how it intends to reach those goals. In terms of access, for example, the company said it would ease pain points around prior authorization. It launched a tracker tool that members can use to see where a request stands in the process.
Flaster likened it to ordering a pizza. Apps offered by the major delivery chains have tracking tools that can show when the pizza is put in the oven, when it is boxed up and when it's en route to the customer.
She added that Cigna is working to support more providers in shifting to digital platforms for prior authorization to make approvals work faster. When a prior authorization request is denied, it's not uncommon that the cause is incomplete information, and having digital tools in place can help fill in those data gaps, Flaster said. However, it's key to still be nimble enough to meet providers where they are.
"If there's a provider that has a way of doing things, and that way is fax, we will accommodate," Flaster said, "but certainly moving towards digital."
In addition, Cigna said it would grow its team of patient advocates who can assist members in navigating the healthcare system, especially for complex needs like a cancer diagnosis.
The company also said it would release an annual consumer transparency report that will track its progress toward the outlined commitments. The first version of the report is set to be published in early 2026, looking back on Cigna's efforts throughout 2025.
And, within the idea of accountability, Cigna said it will tie leadership compensation to consumer and patient satisfaction.
The company's Express Scripts division also made a commitment to providing a more detailed report to its members at the end of the year that details the savings they may have seen for prescriptions. This is one area where Cigna's work is already public, as the pharmacy benefit manager unveiled the new program in January.
Flaster said that alongside her role at Cigna, she continues to treat patients as a primary care physician. Having perspectives from multiple angles of the healthcare system fuels her passion for the company's journey to transform the patient and provider experience, she said.
"I'm in this because I care deeply about patients," said Flaster. "So this work is very personal to me, and I really feel excited to be a part of an organization that is so aligned around this commitment to better."