Cigna Corp. and Oscar Insurance Corp. have agreed to work together to sell fully insured health coverage to small employers.
The Bloomfield, Connecticut-based insurance giant and the New York-based startup say they will sell the coverage under the Cigna + Oscar brand.
(Related: AmeriLife Acquires Majority Stake in Stephens-Matthews)
Cigna and Oscar plans to share the coverage risk equally, through a reinsurance agreement, the companies say.
The companies say their new program will offer access to a health care concierge services and “broad access to high-performing networks of doctors and hospitals.”
Plans will come with access to telemedicine services at no charge and a variety of digital provider search, appointing scheduling and care tracking tools, the companies say.
The companies aim to sell the coverage through brokers as well as through online portals.
The companies hope to begin selling the Cigna + Oscar in at least some markets by the end of the year.
Oscar was co-founded by Josh Kushner, the brother of Jared Kushner, who’s an advisor to President Donald Trump. The company has made alliances with other large insurance and health care delivery organizations in the past. The list of Oscar strategic partners has included AXA, Cleveland Clinic, and Humana.
In other corporate relationship news:
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has completed a previously announced acquisition of Stewart Health Choice Arizona LLC.
Arizona Blue is a Phoenix-based carriers that provides or administers coverage for about 1.5 million people.
Steward Health Choice previously was a Phoenix-based subsidiary of Steward Health Care System LLC. It was part of an organization that has been administering health coverage for about 174,000 Medicaid and Medicare enrollees in Arizona and Utah.