Evernorth, NBA partner on community health

Photo: D Miralle/Getty Images

Evernorth Health Services, a division of Cigna, has entered into a multi-year partnership with the NBA and the WNBA on a campaign to improve community health, making it the official health services partner of the two leagues.

The collaboration also makes Evernorth the presenting partner of NBA Total Health, a holistic health platform that promotes the connectivity of physical, mental, preventive and community health.

“By combining the powerful influence of the NBA with Evernorth’s leading health expertise and services through enriching programming, this partnership will showcase best-in-class solutions and leadership, while deepening the league’s presence in the well-being space,” said Barbara Bush, vice president, social responsibility.

WHAT’S THE IMPACT

NBA Total Health presented by Evernorth is a health and wellbeing platform that leverages the influence of NBA players. It will officially kick-off at the NBA All-Star 2025 in San Francisco with a community walk that’s expected to attract more than 1,000 local participants, including fans, current and former players and their families.

Evernorth’s collaboration with the two leagues will include holistic health and wellness initiatives at marquee events, including at the NBA All-Star, NBA Draft presented by State Farm and the Emirates NBA Cup, which will offer health services such as screenings, educational resources and wellness activities.

The WNBA and Evernorth will also collaborate on health initiatives at the WNBA Health Summit and a community health initiative at WNBA All-Star, to be announced at a later date.

Evernorth said the participatory nature of the NBA Total Health platform will educate fans on the impact of various health issues, societal impacts, and provide tools to maintain their own health and wellness.

The NBA, meanwhile, views the partnership as an extension of its efforts to destigmatize conversations around mental health, and to partner with various organizations on nutrition and fitness to promote participation in sports and healthy lifestyle choices.

“The WNBA’s partnership with Evernorth is an unbelievable opportunity to broaden the scope of our work off the court and promote total wellness across our organization,” said WNBA Chief Growth Officer Colie Edison.

THE LARGER TREND

Evernorth was one of the bright spots for Cigna in an otherwise disappointing fourth quarter, which saw profits take a hit, landing at $1.4 billion.

Cigna’s profits for the year were $3.4 billion, a decrease from the $5.2 billion in profit logged in 2023, while the company’s adjusted income from operations for Q4 was $1.8 billion, or $6.64 per share, compared with $2 billion, or $6.79 per share, for Q4 2023. 

The decrease, said Cigna, was primarily driven by lower contributions from Cigna Healthcare due to higher stop-loss medical costs – which were partially offset by strong contributions from Evernorth Health Services, particularly within Specialty and Care Services.

Evernorth finished the year strong. Fourth quarter 2024 adjusted revenues and adjusted income from operations, pretax, increased 33% and 14%, respectively, relative to Q4 2023. For the full year, adjusted revenues and adjusted income from operations, pretax, increased 32% and 9%, respectively, relative to 2023.

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.