Today, Cigna announced it will be the first global health service company to offer a skill aimed at personalizing and simplifying health benefits information with the launch of “Answers by Cigna,” a skill for Amazon Alexa. “Answers by Cigna” is designed to educate and engage people about health care by providing instant and easy-to-understand answers to more than 150 commonly-asked health care questions.
Nearly half of Americans are utilizing voice enabled devices and has the potential to change how people are interacting with health care providers. Cigna recognizes the need to be where their customers are and the importance of understanding common health care terms such as “out-of-pocket” and “formulary” – a term 66 percent of respondents to a 2017 health literacy survey did not understand.
“Answers by Cigna” will enable users to better understand their health plan, better utilize their in-office time with their health care providers and take full advantage of their benefits.
The “Answers by Cigna” skill for Alexa is available to everyone in the Amazon Alexa Skills Store or by saying, “Alexa, enable Answers by Cigna.” To use the “Answers by Cigna” skill for Alexa, users can simply ask their health-related questions, like “what’s a formulary?,” and receive an easy-to-understand response.
“Voice control offers an exciting and innovative way for Cigna to educate and engage people about health care in a way that is convenient for them,” said Rowena Track, Vice President of Digital Marketing at Cigna. “The applications for voice control are expanding every day and we see great potential as we continue to simplify and personalize our customers’ health care journeys. Our work with Amazon Alexa provides us with experience and expertise as we evolve our voice platform and introduce new personalized services throughout the year.”
