Dr. David Brailer joins Cigna as executive vice president, chief health officer
The company said Brailer will focus on bringing together the company's products, technologies and services.
Dr. David Brailer. Photo courtesy of Cigna
Insurer Cigna has announced that healthcare industry leader Dr. David Brailer will join the company as executive vice president and chief health officer in early September.
As Cigna's first chief health officer, the company said Brailer will focus on bringing together the company's products, technologies and services in ways that drive more value and help people improve their overall health.
Brailer will report to David M. Cordani, Cigna chairman and chief executive officer, and will serve on the company's Enterprise Leadership Team.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT?
Brailer is founder and chairman of Health Evolution, an organization that convenes healthcare leaders as they navigate changing forces in the industry. He's also vice chairman of the Duke-Margolis Health Policy Center.
Brailer will continue to be actively involved with both of those organizations as part of his role at Cigna.
He has been an investor in numerous health technology and services companies through Health Evolution Partners. In 2004, Brailer was appointed by President George W. Bush as a health policy advisor and became the nation's first National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Prior to that, he was founder and CEO of CareScience, one of the first health data analytics companies in the internet era.
He's also served on the boards of directors of or as an advisor to numerous healthcare companies, including Walgreens Boots Alliance, VillageMD, Censeo Health and Prolacta Bioscience.
Brailer holds doctoral degrees in medicine and economics. He earned his M.D. from West Virginia University and his Ph.D. in economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He was appointed a Charles A. Dana Fellow and a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania.
He taught for a decade at the Wharton School, where he developed its curriculum on health information technology. Brailer became board certified in internal medicine after internship and residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he later practiced infectious diseases and HIV medicine.
THE LARGER TREND
The news comes soon after Cigna announced it will be expanding the reach of its ACA Marketplace exchange plans during the upcoming Open Enrollment period that begins in November. Cigna health plans will be available on the individual exchange in three new states – Texas, Indiana and South Carolina – as well as in additional counties in Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina.
According to Charles Berg, president of Cigna's U.S. Government business, the expansion was spurred in part by what the company perceives as "a significant need for a competitive and sustainable individual market."
ON THE RECORD
"I believe that Cigna is well positioned to improve the health and well-being of the millions of customers it serves," Brailer said. "I know the company is deeply committed to being a leader in the coming era of digitally inspired consumer-driven healthcare. I look forward to working alongside David and the leadership team to advance Cigna's culture of health excellence and innovation."
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
