Disease Management Programs

A Healthier Solution for Everyone

Improve health. Lower costs. Increase satisfaction.

As more employers come to understand that healthier employees not only increase their workplace productivity, but also decrease their medical benefit costs, disease management programs will continue to play a prominent role in health benefit plan design.

But how do employers know which disease management programs will work best for them? And how do they know that these programs will actually “improve health and lower costs?”

CIGNA believes that the CIGNA Well Aware for Better Health^® programs stand apart for three important reasons:

• Continual improvement. We are committed to ongoing program improvement in content, delivery and outcomes – making sure the programs are effectively addressing the management of chronic conditions and their related issues most prevalent in today’s society and workplace.
• Intervention/integration. The programs are built around the concept of effective outreach – from aggressive engagement to full-service support and interaction. CIGNA engages the employer as well as members – to ensure that everyone involved is using our programs to their full advantage.
• Ongoing evaluation. We understand outcome measurement. Well Aware analytics, methodology and reporting are industry-leading – a distinct advantage over alternative programs – because they enable employers to understand a program’s impact on clinical outcomes, utilization and medical costs.

Well Aware is delivered through a long-standing relationship between CIGNA and Healthways, Inc. Our management team, with more than 10 years' experience in the disease management field, provides clinical program design and strategy, data management and analysis, and overall program implementation and management. As an industry leader in call center operations and program delivery, Healthways provides the clinical intervention, information and assistance members need to better manage their health.

Program Improvement
CIGNA continually examines workplace health trends, evaluates outcomes and talks with our customers and members. We are always looking for opportunities to improve our existing disease management programs, as well as develop new programs.

• Program enhancements are ongoing. The asthma program has just gone through an extensive review and the cardiac program review is under way. Our objectives are to ensure continued alignment with evidence based standards of care, and to seek out opportunities to support ongoing improvements in patient outcomes and appropriate utilization of the health care system.
• With issues related to obesity and depression having more impacts on America’s workforce, Well Aware has introduced two new programs to help employers help their employees cope with health complications due to obesity and depression.

Program Engagement
An effective disease management program must identify and actively get members to participate. That is why Well Aware is particularly focused on high-touch engagement. Most programs identify members who may benefit from disease management program, mail them information and an invitation to join, and then passively wait for the member to respond. CIGNA is more directed and assertive in our outreach efforts.

• We’re proactive in our telephonic outreach, and directed in our educational mailings that complement program objectives. And our calls are made by specialists and nurses trained to foster member empowerment, and the application of evidence based medicine standards to activities of daily living.
• We work closely with employers to promote program value and services to their employees and encourage their active participation. And we are available to serve as consultative resources on incentives to employees who participate in our Well Aware programs.
• We also offer employers opportunities to promote better health in the workplace through onsite seminars and health-related events.

Why CIGNA?
So, why would an employer choose Well Aware over the many other disease management programs available?  There are several reasons:

• We start with a comprehensive analysis of a client's situation before Well Aware is purchased. This enables us to sit down with the customer and take a critical look at what they truly need as opposed to just guessing.
• We continually track improvements and provide regular reports on metrics, including quality, utilization and costs. Program results, for example, have shown that more participants than non-participants are getting recommended exams, tests and screenings. As a result, there is less need for costly inpatient stays and emergency room visits.
• The Well Aware management team at CIGNA has a tremendous amount of experience in disease management. In fact, our Well Aware team is the original team that helped Healthways build and launch many of its disease management products. We have a dedicated Business Unit within Healthways that exclusively supports CIGNA business. And we conduct regular site reviews of all aspects of program delivery.
• The Disease Management Association of America awarded CIGNA the 2005 Health Plan/Managed Care Organization Disease Management Leadership Award, recognizing CIGNA’s leadership, including our commitment to disease management, excellence and innovation in program design and implementation, outcomes research and measurement, and positive impact.

With nearly one million participants, Well Aware consistently demonstrates positive results – reducing costs and improving members’ quality of life. Through programs like CIGNA Well Aware for Better Health, CIGNA continues to reach out to employers and their employees to help everyone reach their full health potential. Because when employees are healthy, the business is healthy.