CIGNA and the March of Dimes ®

Healthy Babies Deliver a Healthy Future

Having a child should be a joyous occasion for a woman and her family, just as every child should begin life healthy. However, that is not always the case. As a leading provider of health and related benefits that promote health, productivity and well-being, we see every day how the birth of a child impacts women and families physically, emotionally and financially. The impact is even more profound when it is a difficult pregnancy and preterm birth.

More than 500,000 babies in the United States are born prematurely every year, that is, before 37 completed weeks of gestation. This means that one in eight babies is born too early or too small1, an issue that can take a significant human and financial toll on families. There is much more we need to learn about why this happens and what we can do to reduce the number of premature births.

That's why CIGNA has been a proud national sponsor of WalkAmerica^®, the largest annual fund-raising event for the March of Dimes^®, for more than 10 years. Every year, CIGNA employees walk with their friends and family in dozens of cities to raise money for the March of Dimes. Since 1995, CIGNA companies and its employees have contributed more than $17.5 million to the March of Dimes.

The mission of the March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. The March of Dimes carries out this mission through research, community services, education and advocacy to save babies' lives. The work of the March of Dimes exemplifies CIGNA's values as a Business of Caring. We support their efforts to work towards the day when every child in this country is born healthy.

In addition to our support of WalkAmerica, CIGNA Foundation is a national sponsor of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign, a multi-year campaign to raise public awareness, reduce rates of preterm birth and increase research to learn more about the causes of prematurity.

According to the March of Dimes, the direct health care costs to employers for premature babies is 15 times higher than those costs for babies born healthy and full term². And that doesn't include the costs of ongoing care as the child grows. We support the March of Dimes because the work they do helps researchers find new ways to develop and deliver treatments and cures, resulting in healthier babies and lower health care costs. In addition, March of Dimes programs help ensure healthy pregnancies. By preventing prematurity, families and employers stand to benefit.

To learn more about this worthwhile organization and its work, visit www.marchofdimes.com.

_{¹ Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Sutton PD, et al. Births: Final data for 2003. National vital statistics reports; vol 54 no 2. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2005.}

_{² Research conducted and underwritten by Thomson Medstat, 2005.}