(Reuters) – Health insurance Cigna Corp (NYSE)’s Evernorth Unit would join Kaiser Permanente as a partner to enable patients in its competitors’ health plans access doctors abroad.

Evernorth will be Kaiser’s preferred partner for external pharmacies when it comes to drugs that treat specific conditions.

Evernorth is home to the Express Scripts pharmacy benefits management company Cigna (NASDAQ:), as well as Accredo, the specialty pharmacy division of the company.

Evernorth has been set up as a preferred partner. Eric Palmer, Evernorth CEO, stated in an interview that we have agreements with entities some may consider our rivals.

In order to reduce prescription drug costs, pharmacy benefit managers are intermediaries for drug manufacturers and pharmacists.