CIGNA and Prematurity

According to the March of Dimes, more than half a million babies (one in eight) in the U.S. will be born prematurely, meaning born before 37 completed weeks of gestation. Prematurity is the leading killer of newborns and has risen over 30% since 1981.

Employers are increasingly concerned with prematurity. An estimated 11 percent of newborns covered by employer-sponsored health plan are born prematurely each year. According to the March of Dimes, employers pay nearly 15 times more for the health care of premature babies in their first year of life than for healthy, full-term babies.

With health care costs increasing at double digit annual rates for the past several years, employers are looking for solutions to help moderate their health benefits expenditures. The costs associated with pregnancy costs can represent a significant portion of employer health care costs, as a large percentage of an employee population can be expecting a child at any given time.

By finding ways to reduce the risk of prematurity, our members have healthier babies and our employer-clients moderate their costs. CIGNA understands the physical, emotional and financial toll that prematurity can have on a family. That is why we work to educate our employees, plans sponsors and members on the risks of prematurity.

CIGNA Programs to Prevent Prematurity

Based on our experience in providing health management programs, CIGNA's comprehensive maternity management support all our pregnant and pre-pregnant members by providing pregnancy education and web-based tools, identifying members with specialized needs and referral to our case management programs.

• High Risk Maternity Case Management -- This program proactively identifies pregnant women who are at risk for pregnancy-related complications and prenatal hospitalizations because of co-morbid medical conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Specialty Case Management -- This program aims to help appropriately reduce the length of stay for infants in the NICU by resolving barriers to discharge and facilitating parental education and use of community resources.
• CIGNA HealthCare Healthy Babies(R) -- This program provides pregnant members with education on healthy behaviors during pregnancy. The Healthy Babies education kit includes information on depression, stress and dental care during pregnancy, as well as materials from the March of Dimes(R).
• myCIGNA.com - personalized member web portal with health assessment tools, health resource information and customized information to improve health.
• CIGNA HealthCare 24-Hour Health Information Line(SM) -- Members can reach a nurse to ask health care questions 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from anywhere in the U.S. The service also offers a recorded audiotape library of over 1000 different topics.
• Lifestyle Management Program - personalized coaching program for those trying to control their weight, available through CIGNA Behavioral Health's Employee Assistance Program.
• CIGNA Health Advisor(SM) - Gives members access to a nurse who can provide personalized support for a variety of concerns including weight management

In addition to our clinical programs, CIGNA works to raise awareness of the risks of prematurity through our support of the March of Dimes and our Benefits of Caring advertising program.

• More about CIGNA and the March of Dimes
• Benefits of Caring Advertising Program -- Through our Benefits of Caring Advertising campaign, CIGNA has been able to showcase the importance of understanding the causes and risks of prematurity. * (PDF)

Prematurity-Related Press Releases:

• CIGNA HealthCare Expands Maternity Program (March 10, 2006)
• CIGNA Marks Prematurity Awareness with Grant and Lights (Nov. 15, 2005)
• CIGNA Dental Launches Groundbreaking Oral Health Maternity Program (Oct. 5, 2005)
• CIGNA Works to Help Fight Prematurity (April 5, 2005)
• CIGNA Chairman and CEO Visits New York Stock Exchange; Visit Celebrates Ten-Year Sponsorship of the March of Dimes (March 22, 2004)
• CIGNA Foundation Joins March of Dimes Campaign to Raise Public Awareness, Find Answers to Causes of Premature Birth (Jan. 30, 2003)