Bloomfield-based Evernorth, the health services division of The Cigna Group, has unveiled a new rebate-free pharmacy benefit model aimed at reducing prescription drug costs, improving patient health outcomes, and supporting local pharmacies across the nation. The model marks a significant shift in how Americans—particularly those in high-deductible health plans—pay for medications.
“While pharmacy benefit managers have already helped the U.S. achieve the lowest prices for generics in the world – which account for 90% of all prescriptions – the cost of brand-name medicines remain out of reach for too many Americans. We applaud President Trump and his Administration for taking decisive action to help lower costs for brand-name medicines that have long been controlled by drug companies,” said David M. Cordani, Chairman and CEO, The Cigna Group. “We are building on our long track record of pharmacy benefits innovation to put Americans first – lowering their drug costs, protecting access to their trusted pharmacies, and providing the clinical support and safety checks they need to stay healthy.”
The new benefit will reduce brand-name drug costs by an average of 30% for many Americans, while automatically applying the lowest price available—whether negotiated, cash discount, or copay. It will be adopted by Cigna Healthcare in 2027 and become Evernorth’s standard model by 2028.
“Pharmacy benefit managers have successfully driven down costs for Americans with generics and now with biosimilars. President Trump has highlighted the urgent need to tackle the high list prices of the 10% of medications that make up 88% of costs,” said Adam Kautzner, PharmD, President of Evernorth Care Management and Express Scripts. “In this new era of pharmacy benefits, we're creating more choice for Americans by lowering the costs of expensive brand-name drugs while driving accelerated adoption of generics and biosimilars. Our innovative model is a win-win for Americans and their employers—lower costs for Americans, real-time transparency for employers, and renewed trust in pharmacy benefits for all.”
Evernorth’s plan also rethinks how local pharmacies are paid, offering dispensing fees plus reimbursements for quality care services starting in 2026. The company’s model blends transparency, affordability, and clinical safeguards to help patients across Connecticut and the U.S. stay on track with vital medications and improve long-term health.
