Prestigious Wockhardt Hospitals in India and CIGNA International Streamline Access to Health Care for Expatriates

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 14, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits (CIEB) has established a formal agreement with Wockhardt Hospitals Group of India to accept direct payments from CIEB so expatriate patients will not have to worry about payment at time of service.

Through this new agreement, CIEB's expatriate members, as well as its covered international business travelers, will have access to any of the Wockhardt hospitals in Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calcutta and Nagpur and to the hospital group's centers of medical excellence. The hospitals will accept direct payments from CIEB, as well as guarantees of payment for services such as inpatient surgery.

"This member benefit removes the burden of paying a claim in its entirety at the time of service," said Markus Zettner, CIEB provider relations manager.

Wockhardt Hospitals Group, which specializes in cardiology, orthopedics, neurology, minimal access surgery and ophthalmology, brings patients the benefits of global standards in technology and clinical expertise. Recently, the Mumbai centers of excellence became the first super-specialty hospitals in South Asia to receive accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI), USA, joining an exclusive group of only 71 hospitals that have passed JCI's stringent clinical standards worldwide.

"Wockhardt Hospitals Group is a self-supporting associate of Harvard Medical International and has become one of the most advanced and progressive health care institutions in South Asia," Zettner said. "This additional access to quality care significantly enhances our network capabilities in this region."

Wockhardt Hospitals Group treats cardiac and orthopedic patients from all over South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Recently, the hospitals began treating European patients who travel to India for medical treatment. "Our reputation for clinical excellence brought us to the attention of CIGNA International, which pre-selects quality care providers for its globally mobile members worldwide," said Vishal Bali, vice president, operations, Wockhardt Hospitals Group.

CIEB, a business unit of CIGNA International, is the world's leading provider of employer-sponsored group expatriate benefits.

CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits (CIEB) is a business unit of CIGNA International, the global business division of CIGNA Corporation. . CIGNA International markets life, accident and employee benefits -- including health care insurance -- in selected markets around the world. CIEB is the world's largest provider of employer-sponsored insurance plans for expatriate employees and their insured family members.