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"The Big Picture" Newsletter
November/December 2006 : Current Issue
Message from Keith
Dixon – CEO and President, CIGNA Behavioral
Health
As employers and media seek information to understand
the effects of depression, CIGNA Behavioral Health
continues to develop industry-leading, innovative
solutions for behavioral health care. Recently,
Keith Dixon offered his expertise on the topic
of depression when he joined in a discussion
on our approach to depression disease management
with business leaders at the New York Business
Group on Health and Diane Brady of BusinessWeek.
(Continue >>)
Latest News
Study shows consumers are reducing health care
costs
Members with consumer-driven
plans are saving money without sacrificing
recommended care
A key goal of CIGNA HealthCare's consumer-driven
health plans (CDHP) is to help
members become cost-conscious
when making health care decisions.
And a recent
year-long study of CIGNA HealthCare
members has shown progress toward that
goal. CHDP plan members are, in fact,
reducing health care costs –
most importantly, without sacrificing
recommended care, and without cost
shifting. In addition, members reported
increased awareness and engagement in managing
their health care as compared to two years
ago.
CIGNA HealthCare expands voluntary product
portfolio
Fundamental Care to bridge the
gap between limited-benefit and traditional
major medical plans
At CIGNA HealthCare, we understand the
needs of the working uninsured. Fundamental
Care, our new plan offering, gives
employers the ability to provide substantial benefits
to employees who are ineligible for
or do not have access to traditional major
medical coverage.
Product Spotlight
New program aims to control rising worker's
comp medication costs
CIGNA believes pharmacy savings could
reach as high as 75 percent
Workers' compensation for prescription medications
cost carriers more than $3.5 billion every
year. Combined with other medications, total
pharmacy costs represent 10 to 20 percent of
total workers' compensation medical bills,
and the amount is increasing at a rate of 10
to 17 percent annually. To help employers control
these escalating costs, CIGNA has
announced the new Workers' Compensation
Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) Solution – an
integrated program designed to reduce workers'
compensation pharmaceutical costs by as much
as 75 percent.
CIGNA Dental adds WellnessPlusSM features
to product portfolio
Rewards members for receiving
preventive dental care
Incentives in employee benefits are an important
tool employers can use to encourage employees
to adopt healthy behaviors. This expansion
to CIGNA Dental's DPPO/Dental Indemnity
portfolio includes three new  WellnessPlus features that
reward members by increasing their benefits
when they receive preventive dental care. This consumer-focused
approach applies concepts routinely used
in medical plans to the field of dental benefits,
with the goal of improving the overall health
of employees while increasing opportunities
to control costs and improve productivity.
Organizational Announcements
Tom Mole to lead CIGNA Group Insurance
sales team
Named Vice President for National Account Sales
Tom Mole has
been appointed CIGNA Group Insurance
Vice President for National Account Sales,
where he will oversee National Account Sales
strategy both for new business and renewals
for CIGNA Group Insurance, which sells Life,
Accident and Disability coverage to employers.
Mole has 16 years experience in employee
benefits sales, most recently as MetLife's
Vice President and Market Leader, responsible
for the Great Lakes Region.
Danielle Rizk named wellness director
for CIGNA International
Will help develop new ways to improve expatriates'
health
CIGNA International has
named Danielle Rizk wellness
director to lead the medical team
and supporting health services and wellness
programs provided to expatriates. In her
new role, Rizk will focus on several key
initiatives, including enhancements to the
expatriate member web site, and providing
access to programs such as CIGNA Healthy
Rewards®, which offers discounts on memberships
to Weight Watchers® and Jenny Craig worldwide.
CIGNA HealthCare targets small case
market
Roth to lead new unit aimed at individual coverage
and small business
In November, CIGNA HealthCare announced that
it formed a new Individual and Small Business
Markets Segment to focus on individual
and small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. William
Roth was been named president of the new
unit and will be responsible for all products
and services.
Regional News
2006 State election results
A snapshot of what happened in local
government offices
Most people know that Democrats will take
control of the U.S. House and Senate in 2007.
But do you know if there was a shift within
your state legislature? Or how many gubernatorial
races were one by each party? And the outcomes
of the 204 ballot initiatives? Here's a brief
overview of the results with the answers
to these questions and more.
What's happening locally
CIGNA HealthCare news for your area
Get the latest CIGNA HealthCare news for your part of the country. Every month, we post new articles of interest and update the states to which they apply. Here's where you'll also find up-to-date local contact information to help you with your questions and concerns. Want to know the news for your area? Find out here.
(NOTE: States with new articles of special interest are highlighted in blue.)
“CIGNA” and “CIGNA HealthCare” refer
to various operating subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation. Products
and services are provided by these operating
subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. These
operating subsidiaries include Connecticut General
Life Insurance Company, Tel-Drug, Inc. and its
affiliates, CIGNA Behavioral Health, Inc., Intracorp,
and HMO or service company subsidiaries of CIGNA
Health Corporation and CIGNA Dental Health, Inc.
In Arizona, HMO plans are offered by CIGNA HealthCare
of Arizona, Inc. In California, HMO plans are
offered by CIGNA HealthCare of California, Inc.
In Connecticut, HMO plans are offered by CIGNA
HealthCare of Connecticut, Inc. In Virginia,
HMO plans are offered by CIGNA HealthCare Mid-Atlantic,
Inc. In North Carolina, HMO plans are offered
by CIGNA HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc. All
other medical plans in these states are insured
or administered by Connecticut General Life Insurance
Company.
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