CIGNA Takes Home the Bronze in URAC’s Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards

CIGNA (NYSE: CI) took home a bronze award for its Engagement in Intensive Case Management program at URAC’s 2010 Quality Summit and Awards Program.

CIGNA's program targets high-risk individuals who are coping with multiple mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse, and helps them to take action that can prevent their condition from worsening, improve productivity, decrease missed workdays and reduce disability.

"Engagement is what makes this a winning program,” said Neal Cohen, vice president of operations for CIGNA's behavioral health business. "Through better engagement we’re able to involve individuals more actively in managing their condition – and that leads to better outcomes. We’re very honored to receive this award and pleased that mental health programs are earning such important recognition.”

CIGNA Transplant Case Manager Deborah Weaver, RN, BSN, was recognized as an individual URAC Health Care Star when she was presented with the Consumer Empowerment Award. Weaver was honored for her work helping a Texas family whose six-week-old son faced possible liver and intestinal transplant. Weaver helped the family understand their medical and transplant benefits, researched what facilities had histories of excellent outcomes for this type of transplant and rehabilitation, and stayed in close contact with the family after surgery to help them navigate post-operative care and numerous family education and social service issues. Through her involvement, the child’s family learned how to ask the right questions and became better informed health care consumers.

"We’re very proud of Deborah and thrilled that she’s been recognized for her expert handling of a very complicated case,” said Christine Crowe, national director of specialty case management for CIGNA.

Case managers help individuals and families cope with complex clinical situations. They help people to identify goals, needs, and resources and then work with the individual and/or family and the health care professional to develop a plan to meet those goals. Case managers use their expertise to help people navigate the complicated health care system and help them find the resources they need, and advocate on their behalf.

URAC is a leading health care accreditation organization. The organization’s Best Practices in Health Care Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards recognize health care management programs that demonstrate quality improvements in the health care delivered to consumers.

About CIGNA

CIGNA (NYSE: CI) is a global health service and financial company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. CIGNA Corporation's operating subsidiaries in the United States provide an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance. CIGNA offers products and services in over 27 countries and jurisdictions and has approximately 60 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/rss. Also, follow us on Twitter at @cigna, visit CIGNA’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/cignatv and listen to CIGNA's podcast series with healthy tips and information at http://www.cigna.com/podcasts or by searching "CIGNA" in iTunes.