Aetna Tops Corporate Insight’s 2026 Health Plan Experience Benchmarks for Member Website and Mobile App
UnitedHealthcare takes second in both reports; Cigna and Horizon Blue tie for third in website experience while Wellmark takes third in mobile experience.
New York, NY, Aug. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corporate Insight (CI), the leading provider of competitive intelligence and customer experience research to the financial services, insurance and healthcare industries, today announced the leaders in its 2026 Health Plan Website Experience Benchmark and 2026 Health Plan Mobile Experience Benchmark, evaluating the websites and mobile apps of 24 leading commercial health insurers on functionality, design, navigation and usability.
Each Benchmark assesses insurers across eight categories: Claims, Coverage & Health Information, Design & Navigation, Digital Care Tools, Prescriptions & Pharmacy, Support, Profile & Settings, and Health & Wellness Resources, examining more than 240 combined attributes and leveraging a survey of over 1,400 health plan members.
“This new research shows that health insurers are moving quickly to bring AI into the member experience, from Aetna’s AI-powered search to new virtual assistants at UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, Anthem BCBS and Oscar,” said Lauren Roncevic, Senior Director of Healthcare Research at Corporate Insight. “For a health plan evaluating its digital experience, this research shows exactly where the bar sits today and how fast it’s moving, which matters before anyone commits budget to a redesign or a new tool.”
Key Findings
Aetna leads both the website and mobile rankings
Aetna scores 88 out of 100 for its website experience, gaining three points from last year and holding first place for a second consecutive year. The organization ranks first in Design & Navigation and Digital Care Tools, driven by a Design & Navigation score of 98 and an AI-powered search tool woven throughout the site. On mobile, Aetna scores 85, a 10-point jump from last year, taking first place for the first time behind a redesigned home screen, an AI-powered search tool and an enhanced provider search function.
UnitedHealthcare holds second place on both platforms
The firm’s website score rises to 86 and its mobile score to 80, the latter marking UnitedHealthcare’s entry into the mobile Leading tier. The organization added a Smart Choice provider-matching algorithm and reintroduced personal health records to the app since the 2025 edition of the benchmark.
Cigna and Horizon Blue tie for third on the website; Wellmark takes third on mobile.
Cigna’s website score climbs to 81, a four-point gain that follows the rollout of an AI-powered virtual assistant and a new site design; the organization also ranks first in Support. Horizon Blue’s website score reaches 81 as well, up five points, the largest gain of any firm this year, and the insurer continues to lead Coverage & Health Information for a second straight year. On mobile, Wellmark rounds out the top three with a score of 76, aided by an updated home screen and a new AI-powered search bar for benefits.
Websites continue to outpace mobile apps
All insurers in the Experience Benchmark except Highmark BCBS score higher on their website than their mobile app. Websites earn higher marks on average than apps on both usability (66 versus 58) and functionality (72 versus 66). Yet CI’s member survey shows that mobile app users rate their app as very or extremely important more often than website users rate their site (75% top-two box importance versus 65%).
“Members are telling us the app matters just as much as the website, if not more, but our review shows most insurers haven’t caught up yet,” adds Roncevic. “For a health plan setting its digital roadmap, that gap is an opening. This research shows the experience gaps where the next real gains are likely to come from.”
Access the Reports
Organizations can purchase the full Health Plan Website Experience Benchmark and Health Plan Mobile Experience Benchmark, sold separately, from Corporate Insight. Media seeking detailed rankings, key findings and analyst perspectives can contact CI’s press team to learn more.
Firms included in these studies:
Aetna, Anthem BCBS, BCBS of Illinois, BCBS of Massachusetts, BCBS of Michigan, BCBS of South Carolina, Blue Shield of California, CareFirst, Cigna, EmblemHealth, Florida Blue, Harvard Pilgrim, Highmark BCBS, Horizon Blue, Independence Blue Cross, Kaiser Permanente, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Oscar, Select Health, Surest, Tufts Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, UPMC Health Plan, Wellmark
About Corporate Insight
Corporate Insight (CI) delivers competitive intelligence, user experience research and consulting services to the nation’s leading financial services, insurance and healthcare organizations. As the recognized industry leader in customer experience research for over 30 years, CI offers a research platform and unique approach of analyzing the actual customer experience to help organizations advance their competitive position in the marketplace.
Patrick Flood Corporate Insight pflood@corporateinsight.com
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