Case Study: Cigna achieves accurate, transparent treatment cost estimates (90% within 10%) with Truven Health Analytics' Treatment Cost Calculator

Innovative Cost Estimator Takes the Surprise Out of Healthcare Payment

CIGNA HealthCare, which covers more than 12 million people, confronted a growing problem: modern deductible- and coinsurance-based plan designs left members uncertain about what they would owe, providers spent increasing time and resources collecting payments, and provider bad debt was rising. CIGNA needed a simple, low‑disruption way to reduce surprise billing and improve financial transparency at the point of care.

Working with Truven Health Analytics, CIGNA developed the Cost of Care Estimator, which uses claims data to estimate provider reimbursement and then personalizes the patient’s responsibility by applying real‑time benefit information (deductible, coinsurance, copays). Piloted in 2008, the tool proved 90% accurate within 10%, generated positive feedback from patients and providers, improved precare financial conversations and payment likelihood, and was rolled out to roughly 500,000 providers in April 2009.

Cigna