Cigna Healthcare is considering the launch of its additional service with Carrot Fertility in Europe, according to Wendy Sherry, CEO of global health benefits at the insurer.
Cigna’s agreement with Carrot is a key focus of its efforts to support fertility and women’s health, Sherry said in an interview with Health & Protection.
The operation, which began with a pilot programme in the American market, is now being rolled out to Cigna’s global health benefits organisation in Europe.
It will offer a global fertility and family-building benefit programme for clients’ eligible members and provides a range of Carrot services to help individuals navigate fertility treatment, considering factors such as cultural differences and regulatory requirements in different countries.
The initiative aims to support individuals and couples, including heterosexual and same-sex couples, from starting a family to navigating challenges such as miscarriages and menopause.
Sherry (pictured) said: “We started with the parent company last year on a pilot basis and we just recently rolled that out to our Americas global health benefits population.
“Carrot has unbelievable expertise and partnerships with provider communities to be able to help us navigate individuals safely and compliantly.”
The role of brokers and advisers
On the role of brokers and advisers in the global healthcare ecosystem, Sherry noted the insurer relied on them to understand market trends and client needs, and to educate clients about available healthcare programmes.
“We rely on them very much to help us understand the trends and to help us understand what clients’ needs are, so that we can think about where we want to prioritise our assessments, our resources, and our new solutions,” she said.
“They also play a really critical role in helping us to inform and educate our clients. Sometimes, it’s better to hear certain things from what is an independent third party than from us.”
She said the insurer leaned into its broker advisory committee “where we meet not only with brokers on a regular basis, but very formally several times a year to bring those groups together”.
Similarities and differences in global healthcare
Sherry also pointed out the similarities and differences between the US and European healthcare markets.
While there are common goals, such as improving health, managing costs, and enhancing customer experience, the regulatory environment varies significantly across countries.
The regulatory landscape in Europe is more complex than in the US due to the presence of multiple countries, each with its own set of regulations.
Despite that, Sherry said: “There’s a lot more similarities than there are differences.
“One of the key things we need to be very cognizant of as we deliver our solutions and develop new ones is the regulatory environment.
“And then, because we are offering global solutions, it’s not just US regulations and European regulations, but it’s also the Middle East regulations, which carries with it its own set of highly regulated, regular regulated environments and complexities.”
Expat market remains strong
Global mobility remains popular with a significant percentage of people expressing interest in future relocation – with the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia popular destinations for expats, according to Sherry.
“I would definitely say the appeal of living and internationally mobile lifestyle remains really strong,” she said.
“We see the incidence of globally mobile is just under 10% in 2024 and 20% of the people that we surveyed who currently don’t live abroad said they would likely be interested in a relocation in the future.”
Challenges faced by expats in the UK
But the excitement of working abroad seems to fade fast for many expats living in the UK.
A recent Cigna study said found expats in the UK reporting higher levels of loneliness and lower overall wellbeing compared to expats in other countries.
Sherry suggested the initial period of settling into the UK may be particularly difficult, which emphasises the importance of employer support in helping expats adjust to their new environment.
“Our study actually showed that over half of the UK workers were lonely, and we did see a lower overall wellbeing for UK expats at 43%, versus what we’re seeing globally at 57%,” she said.
But attitudes are different if the employee gets effective support from their organisation.
“If employers give the right support structure, helping people with housing, helping people with connections all of that – once they get over the hump, they love it, and they’re ready to re-up for the next year.
“And again, I think that speaks to the important role that an employer plays,” she concluded.