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"The Big Picture" Newsletter
May 2006
Special Feature: Health
Advocacy The Future of Health
Management
(Part 1 in a series)
As the market looks for new
ways to bend the trend in medical costs,
CIGNA is leading the charge in driving
health improvement innovations through
Health Advocacy – a comprehensive “whole-patient” approach
to health management.
Latest News
Intracorp named leading case
management provider
– again
Tops Business Insurance list
for 7th consecutive year
In their annual ranking of case management
services providers, Business Insurance magazine has
named Intracorp as the
nation's leader for the seventh consecutive
year. Intracorp staff includes more than
2,200 certified case managers, most of
whom are registered nurses and vocational
rehabilitation specialists. In 2005, they
managed more than 1.2 million cases, working
with physicians to coordinate care, ensure
patient satisfaction, improve medical outcomes,
facilitate a patient's timely return to
work, and decrease overall health care
expenses.
CIGNA announces first quarter 2006 earnings
Solid performance raises full-year
outlook
On Wednesday, May 3, 2006, CIGNA announced first-quarter
2006 earnings. Overall, first quarter results
were better than the company expected,
and CIGNA increased full-year earnings
outlook by $20 million based on
the strength of the Group disability and
life and International operations. CIGNA
HealthCare results overall were solid.
CIGNA Chairman Ed Hanway noted his belief
that CIGNA is well positioned to meet its
full-year earnings and membership goals
and that CIGNA continues to make notable
investments in market-leading consumerism
and health advocacy capabilities.
Product Spotlight
CIGNA Dental announces additions to
the Oral Health Integration ProgramSM
Turns evidence into action,
enhancing dental benefits for participants
in disease
management programs
Studies have shown that medical costs for
diabetic and cardiovascular patients were significantly
lower when these patients were treated for
gum disease. Effective July 1, 2006, the CIGNA
Dental Oral Health Integration Program (OHIP)
will be expanded to provide enhanced benefits
to eligible DHMO and DPPO members who participate
in the CIGNA Well Aware for Better Health® diabetes
or heart disease programs. According to the
American Diabetes Association, in 2002 diabetes
cost the U.S. an estimated $132 billion. For
2006, the American Heart Association estimates
the costs of cardiovascular diseases and stroke
in the U.S. at $403.1 billion.
The CIGNA Dental Oral Health Maternity
ProgramSM, the first
component of OHIP, was launched in January
in response to mounting research indicating
an increased probability of preterm birth
for those with gum disease. These research-based,
value-added programs are designed to help
improve outcomes and reduce expenses.
New ways to promote prescription compliance
CIGNA Pharmacy Management announces
plan options to help members
Many consumers who have or are at risk for
certain diseases could significantly improve
their health by taking prescribed medications
according to their physicians’ recommendations.
Recognizing the importance of this issue, CIGNA
Pharmacy Management (CPM) will
launch new plan options in July to promote
medication compliance by providing a higher
level of benefits coverage to applicable members.
Options will include allowing employers to
waive the plan deductible for more than 700
preventive prescription drugs, and providing
higher levels of drug plan coverage to members
with diabetes, cardiac conditions or chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease who choose to
participate in a disease management program.
Technology Update
Going to school on prescription drugs
myCIGNA.com offers the tools and information to let
consumers make informed decisions
Consumers may not always understand why they're
prescribed certain prescription drugs, and
which alternative medications may be available.
To empower them with a deeper understanding
of prescription drugs, their characteristics,
and associated costs, CIGNA offers a variety
of carefully selected consumer
decision support tools on the pharmacy
section of myCIGNA.com. Using
these tools, members can learn about the uses
and risks of most available medications; find
out cost and coverage information including
the benefit tier for specific drugs; determine
which generic and brand versions may be available;
view benefit details for each tier of their
plan; obtain actual out-of-pocket costs for
medications at local pharmacies, and much more.
Organizational Announcements
Rebekah Whitehouse named CMO of CIGNA
Group Insurance
Will continue to serve CIGNA Dental & Vision
Care
CIGNA Group Insurance announced
that Rebekah Whitehouse has
joined the Senior Leadership Team as Chief
Marketing Officer, reporting to the
division President, Karen S. Rohan. In her
new role, Whitehouse will lead all strategy,
product development and marketing initiatives
for the Group Insurance division of CIGNA,
which sells Life, Accident and Disability coverage
to employers. Whitehouse will continue to serve
as the Chief Marketing Officer for CIGNA Dental & Vision
Care, a position she has held since July 2004.
Regional News
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.)
Health Care News and Trends
What if we could cure addiction?
CIGNA and MIT work to find answers
CIGNA is sponsoring a groundbreaking series
with the Picower
Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT. The
most recent event, focusing on addiction, was
held on May 8th.
Perhaps no other memory-related disease affects
as many people as that of addiction – it's
a problem that costs up to $85 billion from
employers’ annually. How prevalent is
substance abuse? In 2004 an estimated 22.5
million people 12 or older were classified
with substance dependence or abuse in the past
year, 9.4 percent of the total population:
3.4 million of these were classified with dependence
on or abuse of both alcohol and illicit drugs,
3.9 million were dependent on or abused illicit
drugs but not alcohol, and 15.2 million were
dependent on or abused alcohol but not illicit
drugs.
"CIGNA" or "CIGNA HealthCare" refers to various operating subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation. Products and services are provided by these subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. These 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 Virginia, HMO plans are offered by CIGNA HealthCare of Virginia, Inc. and 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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