Cigna Will No Longer Cover OxyContin Amid Opioid Crisis

NEW YORK, NY — Cigna, one of the country's biggest health insurers, will no longer cover OxyContin for routine prescriptions beginning in 2018, the company announced Wednesday. The announcement comes amid a growing epidemic of opioid abuse, which health care companies of all sorts are working to control.

“Our focus is on helping customers get the most value from their medications – this means obtaining effective pain relief while also guarding against opioid misuse," said Jon Maesner, Cigna's chief pharmacy officer.

The move comes as part of the company's attempt to reduce opioid use among its customers by 25 percent in 2019. In place of OxyContin, Cigna has signed a contract to offer patients Xtampza ER produced by Collegium Pharmaceutical. (For more national stories, subscribe to the Across America Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Watch: Health Insurer Drops OxyContin Coverage To Fight Opioid Crisis

Xtampza ER, like OxyContin, is a version of oxycodone. But unlike OxyContin, Xtampza ER has "extended release" properties that make people less likely to abuse it, Cigna said. Cigna will continue to provide the medication for patients who are currently receiving OxyContin for hospice care or cancer treatments.

Cigna's contract with Collegium Pharmaceutical provides financial incentives for the manufacturer to keep dosage levels before a set threshold.

“While drug companies don’t control prescriptions, they can help influence patient and doctor conversations by educating people about their medications," Maesner said.

OxyContin is produced by Purdue Pharma.

"We believe that patients should have access to FDA-approved products with abuse deterrent properties," Robert Josephson, a spokesman for Purdue, said. "Cigna’s decision limits the tools prescribers can use to help address the opioid crisis as both products are formulated with properties designed to deter abuse."

According to CNBC, Maesner said Cigna is not "singling out" OxyContin's manufacturer, but it is encouraged by the commitment it has received from Collegium.

The opioid abuse epidemic has drawn an increasing about of attention in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 2 million Americans were abusing or dependent on prescription opioids in 2014. In 2015, the CDC estimates 15,000 deaths were linked to prescription opioid abuse.

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