The Cigna Group plans to cut more jobs, according to a company letter that was sent to employees Nov. 2.
The letter, obtained by Becker’s, did not specify how many jobs would be affected but confirmed there would be fewer managers and employees as the company rethinks team structures, where work takes place, and the number and types of roles needed. Cigna cut roughly 2,000 jobs globally by the end of February 2026, as well.
The letter also referenced conversations with employees and a survey, saying staff sought better understanding of accountability and more authority. Some barriers included handoffs, complex processes, fragmented ownership and work that did not always align with top priorities.
Leaders are starting to review organizations within the enterprise, and implementation of the changes will begin in early 2027, the letter said. The company also said it would leverage technology and AI as it reconsiders how to execute work.
In September, Cigna shared its “Lead to One” vision, setting long-term financial targets for the organization. In its Nov. 5 third-quarter earnings report, the company fleshed out its “Accelerate to One” approach to work toward that vision. “Accelerate to One” aims to generate $3 billion in savings through a multiyear modernization and productivity initiative.
On the third-quarter earnings call, Cigna CFO Ann Dennison said roughly 70% to 80% of the $3 billion in gross run-rate savings are expected to result from “automation, modernization and talent effectiveness,” while the remaining share would come from vendor-related improvements. In regards to costs associated with the initiative, she pointed to the company’s third-quarter financial report.
“I would describe them as mostly concentrated on the employee side, severance and other sort of one-time costs, in order to execute some of the savings that we are doing this year that will carry into next year,” she said.
The filing included a note on a “strategic optimization program” that started in the first quarter of 2025, which the company expects to continue through 2028. Along with the February cuts, Cigna laid off more than 200 Evernorth employees in Arizona and New Jersey last year.
“The company’s strategic optimization program, which was announced in 2025, will continue as a discrete restructuring program under the broader Accelerate to One initiative with the continued objective to evolve our business and deliver a more efficient and improved experience for our patients, providers and customers,” the filing said.
During the third quarter, Cigna reported $85 million in total costs linked to the program. Those costs were $222 million during the comparable quarter of 2025.
Beyond Cigna, workforce changes have been widespread among payers in recent months. Amid buyouts, Centene experienced an 11.8% drop in headcount from the end of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026.
Becker’s has reached out to Cigna for comment and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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