Cigna + Express Scripts Assures Diabetes Patients to Cap Out of Pocket costs at $25 for 30 day Insulin prescription.

Health insurance company Cigna and pharmacy benefit company Express Scripts have launched a program that will help to keep out-of-pocket costs for insulin cost at $25 per 30-day prescription, for diabetes patients.

The Patient Assurance Program is available to Cigna members in non-government funded pharmacy plants managed by Express Scripts. According to Cigna, the average out-of-pocket cost for customers with insulin plans managed by Express Scripts was $41.50 for a 30-day supply in 2018.

"For people with diabetes, insulin can be as essential as air, We need to ensure these individuals feel secure in their ability to afford every fill so they don't miss one dose." said Cigna executive vice president Steve Miller. "

The out-of-pocket cost includes deductibles, co-pays or co-insurance. The insurance company said in most cases, patients will see lower costs without any increases in the plan premium. Miller said he believes the new program will remove at least one barrier cost for people enrolled in plans who need insulin.

Press release;

Jennifer Luddy
201-269-6402
jennifer_luddy@express-scripts.com

03 April 2019 

• Reduces out-of-pocket costs for insulin by 40 percent or more, on average, for many patients
• Improves affordability and predictability of insulin costs for people with diabetes and their participating plans
• Represents latest in long legacy of diabetes-focused innovations from Cigna and Express Scripts

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., 03 April, 2019 - Addressing the need for greater affordability and access to insulin, Cigna and Express Scripts today announced the launch of the Patient Assurance Program^SM, which will ensure eligible people with diabetes in participating plans pay no more than $25 for a 30-day supply of insulin.

“For people with diabetes, insulin can be as essential as air. We need to ensure these individuals feel secure in their ability to afford every fill so they don’t miss one dose, which can be dangerous for their health,” said Steve Miller, M.D., executive vice president and chief clinical officer, Cigna. “Together, Cigna and Express Scripts are now able to give people who rely on insulin greater affordability and cost predictability so they can focus on what matters most: their well-being."

The Patient Assurance Program will be available to members in participating non-government funded pharmacy plans managed by Express Scripts, including Cigna and many other health plans, with out-of-pocket costs for insulin greater than $25. Out of pocket costs for insulin include deductibles, copays or coinsurance. In most cases, people who use insulin will see lower out-of-pocket costs without any increased cost to the plan. Cigna and Express Scripts clients will activate this new program for participating plans by moving covered insulin products to a lower copayment.

To ensure people who need insulin get the access and affordability they need, we are partnering with insulin manufacturers to lower copayments to $25 at the point of sale.

"We are confident that our new program will remove cost as a barrier for people in participating plans who need insulin," said Dr. Miller. "Better care and better outcomes are rooted in greater choice, affordability, and access, and we can bring all of these to people with the greatest needs."

For users of insulin plans managed by Cigna and Express Scripts, the average out-of-pocket cost for insulin was $41.50 for a 30-day supply in 2018. Through the Patient Assurance Program, individuals who are eligible for the program will save approximately 40 percent, as well as gain peace of mind in knowing they will have access to improved affordability. Individuals with plan designs that involve coinsurance and/or a high deductible, will benefit the most from this new program.

More than a quarter of the approximately 24 million Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes use insulin – alone or along with other medications – to keep their blood glucose levels in check, according to research from Express Scripts. A recent Yale studyhighlighted the effects of this issue, showing that 1 in 4 people with diabetes who use insulin admitted to cutting back on the use of insulin because of cost.

Building Upon a Legacy of Leadership in Diabetes

Cigna and Express Scripts deliver personalized care to people with diabetes and create affordable access to their medication. Whether providing point of sale rebate value, offering tailored care from specialist pharmacists, customizing diabetes prevention programs, or improving care while lowering the cost of prescription drugs to treat diabetes, Cigna and Express Scripts have continually led the way in innovating new solutions to help people with diabetes live better lives.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance.

Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 160 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna^®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://cigna.newshq.businesswire.com/press-release/cignanews/cigna-and-express-scripts-introduce-patient-assurance-program-cap-out 

Stem Cells From Teeth Can Be Transformed Into Cells That Produce Insulin

Lexington, MA (PRWEB) March 9, 2011

Store-A-Tooth (TM) commends the scientists who report in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR) that stem cells from teeth can be transformed into cells that produce insulin in a glucose-dependent manner—a significant step toward developing stem-cell therapies for diabetes.(1)
The finding is particularly important for type 1 diabetes, which results from a failure of the pancreas to produce enough insulin, the hormone that plays a vital role in the body’s use of glucose (blood sugar). In the United States alone, the CDC estimates that nearly one million people have type 1 diabetes, with more than 15,000 children and teenagers newly diagnosed each year.(2) Intensive research is under way to determine whether insulin-producing cells derived from stem cells might one day be used as part of a cure for type 1 diabetes.
“This work is further evidence that research into medical as well as dental applications of stem cells from teeth, though early, is steadily progressing toward what we believe will be a new generation of therapies for conditions that impact millions of Americans. We are pleased to see dental stem cell research aimed at one of the most serious diseases affecting young people: type 1 diabetes,” said Peter Verlander, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Provia Laboratories, LLC.
Provia is the provider of Store-A-Tooth, a service that enables parents to preserve stem cells from their children’s teeth, allowing families to take advantage of future medical breakthroughs from stem cell research.  
In 2000, scientists from the National Institutes of Health first reported isolating stem cells from dental pulp.(3) In 2009, it was shown that stem cells from periodontal ligament could produce insulin.(4) The new research takes the next step: showing that stem cells from teeth can be used to generate cells that secrete insulin in a glucose-dependent manner; that is, when exposed to more glucose, the cells produced more insulin.
According to the paper in the JDR, scientists at Stempeutics Research Malaysia and the University of Malaya isolated stem cells from deciduous molars (baby teeth). These teeth were extracted as part of routine dental care, for the management of occlusion (crowded teeth). The scientists then cultured these dental stem cells under conditions that led the cells to turn into islet-like cell aggregates like those in the pancreas that secrete insulin.
The authors of the paper comment, “(We) anticipate that our finding will create a benchmark toward cell replacement for type 1 diabetes… by autologous transplantation of islet-like cell aggregates (ICAs) differentiated from a patient’s own teeth.”
Today, standard treatment for type 1 diabetes (also called insulin-dependent or juvenile-onset diabetes) includes frequent blood glucose monitoring and daily insulin injections or use of insulin pumps. Looking forward, doctors are focusing on ways to cure the disease, such as by transplantation of pancreatic islet cells from a donor, but this approach is often hindered by a shortage of donor organs and by potential side effects caused by immunosuppressive drugs needed to prevent transplant rejection. If a patient’s own dental stem cells had been preserved, both of these problems might be resolved: the patient’s own cells could be used to generate islets for autologous transplantation (meaning tissues are used from the same individual, not a donor, eliminating the need for immunosuppressive drugs).
As the authors of the paper in the JDR note, limitations with donor transplants have led to a search for alternative cell-replacement therapies. They comment that dental stem cells “are considered to be an appealing source” because “they are non-controversial, readily accessible, have a large donor pool, and pose no risk of discomfort for the donor.” Every person typically loses 20 baby teeth, each of which can provide a source of stem cells.
Store-A-Tooth, a dental stem cell banking company based in Massachusetts, works with families and their dentists to collect teeth removed during normal dental procedures, such as baby teeth that come loose during childhood, wisdom teeth extracted from teens or young adults, and teeth that need to be pulled for orthodontic reasons – like the teeth reported in this study. Store-A-Tooth then preserves the tissue at very low temperatures, until the day when new stem cell therapies become routinely available.
“We applaud these researchers for demonstrating that stem cells from one’s own teeth may play a critical role in enabling new therapies for type 1 diabetes. The pace of dental stem cell research around the world is accelerating, and we look forward to seeing a growing number of potential applications in the future,” Dr. Verlander said. “We encourage families living with type 1 diabetes to learn more about options for preserving dental stem cells, so that they can make an informed decision while their children are losing teeth.”
About Provia Laboratories LLC
Provia Laboratories, LLC is a healthcare services company specializing in high quality biobanking (preservation of biological specimens). The company’s Store-A-Tooth (TM) service platform enables the collection, transport, processing, and storage of dental stem cells for potential use in future stem-cell therapies. The company advises industrial, academic, and governmental clients on matters related to the preservation of biological specimens for research and clinical use. In addition, Provia offers a variety of products for use in complex biobanking environments to improve sample logistics, security, and quality. Provia Labs is a member of ISBER, the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories.
For more information about Store-A-Tooth, call 1-877-867-5753 or visit http://www.store-a-tooth.com.
Footnotes:
1 Govindasamy V, et al. (2011) Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells into Islet Like Aggregates. J Dent Res. published online 18 February 2011. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21335539
2 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf
3 Gronthos S, Mankani M, Brahim J, Robey PG, Shi S. Postnatal human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in vitro and in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Dec 5;97(25):13625-30.
4 Huang CY, Pelaez D, Dominguez-Bendala J, Garcia-Godoy F, Cheung HS. Plasticity of stem cells derived from adult periodontal ligament. Regen Med. 2009 Nov;4(6):809-21.