Cigna Offers $500 Incentive to Patients Who Switch to Biosimilar

The U.S. health insurance provider Cigna has provided a financial incentive to patients who switch to an infliximab biosimilar, through a one-time $500 debit card for health care services and products called the “Shared Savings Program.”  Cigna has promoted this program as a way to promote biosimilar use and reduce prescription drug costs for patients, providers, and the insurance company itself.  The first biologic to be the focus of Cigna’s Shared Savings Program is Remicade®, which, according to Cigna, costs on average $30,000 per year and can be substituted with biosimilars including infliximab-axxq (Avsola®), infliximab-dyyb (Inflectra®), or infliximab-abda (Renflexis®).  Cigna also said that it will be moving Avsola® and Inflectra® to preferred status beginning in July.