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CIGNA Introduces New Service Model That Pairs Individuals With a Personal Health Advocate; Making It Easier to Be Healthy

Posted on: Thursday, 24 July 2008, 12:01 CDT

Making it easier for people to be healthy is the goal behind a new service structure CIGNA is introducing that will provide a "one-stop-shopping" experience for CIGNA customers who participate in the company's health promotion and disease prevention programs.

CIGNA's integrated personal health team combines behavioral health care, lifestyle management programs, case management, disease management, health coaching and employee assistance programs under one roof with a single point of contact for individuals. People participating in these programs need make only one call to one phone number to connect with a personal health advocate who will guide them to whatever type of help they need, from advice on nutrition or help with managing stress, to resources for coping with all of the aspects of a major illness.

"This is a major departure from today's confusing and fragmented health care system," said Keith Dixon, president of CIGNA's health solutions unit. "We are building tomorrow's health care system by making it easier for people to get the information, resources and personal attention they need to be healthy. And we'll provide that help in ways that individuals prefer, whether that's over the phone, online, through the mail or at the workplace."

CIGNA is implementing the integrated personal health team concept with a limited number of early adopter employers this year before making it more broadly available in the future. CIGNA Corporation will implement the program for its own employees in 2009.

The new CIGNA model draws on the company's 30 years of behavioral health expertise and relies on teams of health care professionals skilled in using the company's unique method of health coaching. The company expects that this new service delivery concept will help CIGNA continue to build on its focus of treating the whole person and not just the disease or issue that is presented at any particular moment.

"All of our coaches are trained to 'listen with a third ear' - to get beyond what the individual is saying and identify the root causes of that person's particular concern," said Jodi Aronson Prohofsky, Ph.D., senior vice president of health solutions operations at CIGNA. "Quite often with a medical problem, there is an underlying behavioral issue. A call about a claim might point to an underlying medical need. Our integrated personal health teams will use their coaching and behavioral health expertise to help ensure that each person gets the service or resources that would be most helpful for their individual circumstances."

The ultimate goal of this personalized attention is to help people become active participants in their health care and encourage behavior change that will result in healthier lifestyles, long-term health improvements, increased productivity and lower medical costs, which benefit both individuals and their employers.

About CIGNA HealthCare

CIGNA HealthCare, a health service organization based in Bloomfield, Conn., works to improve the health, well-being and security of the people we serve. A leading provider of employee benefit services and programs, CIGNA HealthCare offers a broad array of medical, dental, behavioral health, and pharmacy benefits plans and coverage. We also build and provide health and wellness coaching programs and consumer information tools designed to improve health and help people in their health care decision-making. "CIGNA HealthCare" and the "Tree of Life" logo are registered service marks of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by CIGNA Corporation (NYSE:CI) and its operating subsidiaries, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries, and not by CIGNA Corporation. For more information, visit www.cigna.com.

Source: Business Wire

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