Cigna has announced the launch of “Answers by Cigna," an additional skill to the Amazon Alexa voice-controlled device that aims to improve patient health literacy.

According to a 2017 survey, 20 percent of patient respondents did not know what the word “premium” meant and 66 percent did not understand the word “formulary.” Patients with low literacy in health-related terms ultimately have lower utilization of its benefits. In response to low literacy rates, the health insurer designed “Answers by Cigna” to use the voice-controlled device to personalize and simplify health benefits information.

To enable the “Answers by Cigna” skill for Alexa, users can either download it through the Amazon Alexa Skills Store or by vocalizing, “Alexa, enable Answers by Cigna.” Users then ask Alexa their health-related questions. The hands-free skill is currently able to provide instant answers to more than 150 commonly-asked healthcare questions.

“Voice control offers an exciting and innovative way for Cigna to educate and engage people about health care in a way that is convenient for them,” said Rowena Track, vice president of digital marketing at Cigna. “The applications for voice control are expanding every day and we see great potential as we continue to simplify and personalize our customers’ health care journeys. Our work with Amazon Alexa provides us with experience and expertise as we evolve our voice platform and introduce new personalized services throughout the year.”