The Cigna Group NYSE: CI used its 2026 annual meeting of shareholders to highlight 2025 financial results, recent portfolio actions, and initiatives the company says are aimed at improving healthcare affordability. Chair and CEO David Cordani also reiterated the company’s previously announced CEO transition and shareholders voted on four proposals, including a shareholder-submitted request tied to written consent rights.
2025 results and capital returns
Cordani told shareholders that in 2025 the company “delivered on our performance track record” in what he described as a dynamic year. He said the Cigna Group grew full-year total revenue to $275 billion, an 11% increase year over year.
According to Cordani, the company reported shareholders’ net income of $6 billion, or $22.18 per share, and adjusted income from operations of $8 billion, or $29.84 per share. He added that the Cigna Group generated $9.8 billion in cash flow from operations and returned $5.2 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases.
Portfolio actions and focus on core platforms
Cordani said the company took steps in 2025 to “sharpen” its focus on core services in its health benefits platform. He pointed to two transactions:
- A $3.5 billion investment in Shields Health Solutions, which he said is intended to better serve a growing number of individuals living with complex and chronic conditions.
- The completed sale of the company’s Medicare business for $4.9 billion to Health Care Service Corporation.
Cordani said management remains confident in growth opportunities ahead, citing “strong fundamentals” and continued focus on the company’s core health services and benefits platforms.
Affordability initiatives and cost pressures
Much of Cordani’s remarks centered on affordability and underlying cost drivers in the U.S. healthcare system. He said demand is rising as the population ages and chronic disease becomes more prevalent, noting that chronic disease and mental health conditions combined account for “approximately 90% of healthcare spending in the United States.”
On the supply side, Cordani said innovation is significant but costs have risen sharply. He cited that since 2000, “the cost of a hospital stay has increased more than 220%,” and said the median price of a new prescription drug in 2025 was “approximately $390,000,” up from “about $2,000” less than 20 years ago.
Cordani described the Cigna Group’s approach as serving “as a counterweight” to these pressures through innovation, preventive care access, and service coordination around individual needs. He highlighted an October launch of what he called the industry’s first rebate-free pharmacy benefit model as an alternative to traditional post-purchase rebates, saying it provides affordability “right at the pharmacy counter,” saving patients “more than 30% on brand name drugs.”
He also said the company is leveraging competition and increasing the use of generics and biosimilars. As an example, Cordani said that in 2025 the company accelerated biosimilar adoption by offering a $0 out-of-pocket option for both Humira and Stelara biosimilars, which he said saved patients thousands of dollars.
Cordani pointed shareholders to the company’s “recently published Customer Transparency Report,” which he said details 2025 progress against five public commitments: easier access to care; better support for customers and patients; better value; greater accountability; and expanded transparency.
Leadership transition and other updates
Cordani told shareholders that 2026 marked a “natural point” to identify the next CEO, and referenced a March announcement that he will retire as chief executive effective July 1 and move to the role of executive chair. He said the board has selected current President and Chief Operating Officer Brian Evanko to succeed him. Cordani said Evanko has “nearly 30 years” of tenure with the company and experience across multiple parts of the organization.
Cordani also noted recognition from JUST Capital and CNBC, which he said once again ranked the Cigna Group No. 1 among healthcare companies on their annual list of America’s most just companies. He added that employees volunteered nearly 114,000 hours globally in the past year, representing an “approximate 30% increase” compared with 2024.
Shareholder votes and written consent proposal
The formal meeting included four proposals. Shareholders voted to elect 12 director nominees for one-year terms, approve an advisory resolution on executive compensation, ratify PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for 2026, and consider a shareholder proposal submitted by John Chevedden regarding a right to act by written consent.
Chevedden urged shareholders to support “Proposal 4, shareholder right to act by written consent,” and criticized the company’s statement in the proxy materials. He argued shareholders are “best served when they have both rights” (written consent and the ability to call a special meeting) and contended that written consent requires majority support of all shares outstanding. He also alleged that the company’s special meeting right is weakened by disqualification provisions and asked investors to vote in favor of the proposal.
In the preliminary voting report read during the meeting, the inspector of election determined that the director nominees were elected, executive compensation was approved on an advisory basis, PwC’s appointment was ratified, and the written consent shareholder proposal did not receive majority support. The company said final voting results will be reported in a Form 8-K filing with the SEC within four business days.
About Cigna Group NYSE: CI
Cigna Group NYSE: CI is a global health services company that offers a broad portfolio of healthcare products and insurance solutions for individuals, employers, and governments. Its core businesses include medical and behavioral health plans, dental and vision coverage, pharmacy benefit management, and supplemental health products. Cigna serves a mix of commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid customers and provides workplace benefits such as group health plans and disability and life benefits for employers.
In addition to traditional insurance products, Cigna operates health services and care-delivery platforms designed to manage costs and improve outcomes.
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