Cigna’s Digital Coupon

Cigna recently announced some changes to their website. The one that caught my eye was the ability for a patient to print a coupon for a reduced copayment on their first fill of a generic drug.

I think it is a great step. My hope and questions would be as follows:

• Is it to promote therapeutic switching or simply for movement from a multi-source brand to its chemical equivalent?
• Is the coupon for anyone who is using a generic? Or is it only for new starts on a generic? Or is it only for those switching from a higher cost brand to a generic?
• How do you drive awareness of the coupon and adoption of the web?
• If all they really need is a coupon code, can you send it to their phone (much more likely to have it with them at the pharmacy)? Or could you trigger a fax to the pharmacy?

Anyways, I think couponing and incentives have a role in driving behavior, and it is good to see a MCO jumping into the digital age with this.