CIGNA
Encyclopedia
Cigna headquartered in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a global health services company, owing to its expanding international
footprint and the fact that it provides administrative services only (not insurance) to approximately 80 percent of its clients. Cigna also has a major footprint in the Phoenix, Arizona
metro area running a full-service staff-model HMO with satellite clinics throughout the region.
Cigna International Expatriate Benefits
also operates under Cigna corporation and provides benefits to customers around the world.
According to its most recent investor report from 2009, Cigna has approximately 29,300 employees.
Before selling its international property and casualty business to the Bermuda-based ACE Insurance company in the late 1990s, CIGNA was among the companies with the largest international network in the league of Allianz, AIG and Zurich. The deal was made for strategic reasons to concentrate on core business. ACE - at that time a key player at the Bermuda and Lloyds insurance market - on the other hand was interested on expanding the international network in the traditional insurance market. CIGNA now operates in 25 countries, has in excess of 42,000 employees and manages around US$110 billion in assets.
In October 2011, Cigna has agreed to buy HealthSpring Inc. for $3.8 billion to jump-start its business selling Medicare plans from 46,000 Medicare Advantage members to almost 400,000 Medicare Advantage members. The payment would come from issue new equity to cover about 20 percent of the value, with the rest funded by additional cash and debt.
In U.S. News and World Report's 2007 annual ranking of US
commercial health plans, CIGNA's highest and lowest rankings are as follows, out of 250 rated plans:
, justifying their refusal to pay by claiming that the procedure was experimental, even though there was a liver ready and waiting to be transplanted and doctors estimated she had a 65% chance of surviving at least six months. In response to much protest and public scrutiny, CIGNA reversed its decision, though Ms. Sarkisyan died awaiting the transplant. CIGNA notes that it had no financial stake in the decision to authorize the transplant because it merely administers the insurance plan of Mr. Sarkisyan's employer and would not bear the cost of any operation. However, CIGNA offered to pay for the transplant itself when it made the exception to the policy.
Even though liver transplants have been performed since 1963 and are a well accepted treatment option for end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure, CIGNA defended its actions by claiming that there was insufficient data to show that a transplant for a patient in Sarkisyan's condition would be safe and effective. Lawyers for her family are exploring litigation against Cigna.
The California court agreed with CIGNA's position that the Sarkisyans' claims regarding CIGNA's decision-making were preempted by federal ERISA law. On April 16, 2009, the United States District Court for the Central District of California dismissed all of the claims against CIGNA related to the coverage determination.
in their "Esc and Ctrl" videoblog about control of Internet by corporations documented an incident of Nataline Sarkisyan
and former vice president of CIGNA talked about astroturfing
, the practice of creating fake blogs by interested groups e.g. health insurance companies to push claims that are profitable for said company into media, e.g. dismissing universal health care.
& 1to1 Customer Experience Excellence Award. The awards are given to the companies that "most clearly demonstrate exemplary customer relationship strategy and an unrivaled level of excellence in delivering the customer experience".
CIGNA also recently received the JD Power award for customer service for all of its call centers for the fourth time in a row. According to the company, JD power ensures "CIGNA HealthCare’s call center operations successfully passed a detailed audit of its recruiting, training, employee incentives, quality assurance capabilities, and management roles and responsibilities."
In July 2010, CIGNA began giving each company employee eight hours of paid time off annually to volunteer with non-profit health and community service organizations. The Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia
helped kicked off the program in front of CIGNA's Philadelphia headquarters with the Christmas in July campaign.
to attain legislation that the company favors. This includes $720,000 spent in 2009 alone, when it had 20 lobbyists at five different firms working on their behalf.
group to offer a streamlined Medicare advantage offering through employer clients for retirees.
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
footprint and the fact that it provides administrative services only (not insurance) to approximately 80 percent of its clients. Cigna also has a major footprint in the Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
metro area running a full-service staff-model HMO with satellite clinics throughout the region.
Cigna International Expatriate Benefits
Cigna International Expatriate Benefits
CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits is a business unit within the Fortune 500 company known as the CIGNA Corporation. CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, in close proximity to Philadelphia, PA. Additional CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits...
also operates under Cigna corporation and provides benefits to customers around the world.
According to its most recent investor report from 2009, Cigna has approximately 29,300 employees.
History
CIGNA was formed by the 1982 merger of the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CG) and the Insurance Company of North America (INA). INA was formed back in 1792 and is considered to be the ancestor of Cigna. The CG was created in 1865 by a special act of the Governor of Connecticut.Before selling its international property and casualty business to the Bermuda-based ACE Insurance company in the late 1990s, CIGNA was among the companies with the largest international network in the league of Allianz, AIG and Zurich. The deal was made for strategic reasons to concentrate on core business. ACE - at that time a key player at the Bermuda and Lloyds insurance market - on the other hand was interested on expanding the international network in the traditional insurance market. CIGNA now operates in 25 countries, has in excess of 42,000 employees and manages around US$110 billion in assets.
In October 2011, Cigna has agreed to buy HealthSpring Inc. for $3.8 billion to jump-start its business selling Medicare plans from 46,000 Medicare Advantage members to almost 400,000 Medicare Advantage members. The payment would come from issue new equity to cover about 20 percent of the value, with the rest funded by additional cash and debt.
Quality of care
In California's Office of the Patient Advocate 2011 Health Care Quality Report Card, CIGNA scored 3 out of 4 stars in Meeting National Standards of Care and 3 out of 4 stars in How Members Rate Their HMO.In U.S. News and World Report's 2007 annual ranking of US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
commercial health plans, CIGNA's highest and lowest rankings are as follows, out of 250 rated plans:
- 18. New HampshireNew HampshireNew Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
- 198. CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Ethics
In December 2007, CIGNA was criticized after the company refused to pay for a liver transplant of a California teenage girl, Nataline SarkisyanNataline Sarkisyan
Nataline Mary Sarkisyan was an American teenager with recurrent leukemia, first diagnosed at age 14, who received a bone marrow transplant from her brother Bedros, November 27, 2007...
, justifying their refusal to pay by claiming that the procedure was experimental, even though there was a liver ready and waiting to be transplanted and doctors estimated she had a 65% chance of surviving at least six months. In response to much protest and public scrutiny, CIGNA reversed its decision, though Ms. Sarkisyan died awaiting the transplant. CIGNA notes that it had no financial stake in the decision to authorize the transplant because it merely administers the insurance plan of Mr. Sarkisyan's employer and would not bear the cost of any operation. However, CIGNA offered to pay for the transplant itself when it made the exception to the policy.
Even though liver transplants have been performed since 1963 and are a well accepted treatment option for end-stage liver disease and acute liver failure, CIGNA defended its actions by claiming that there was insufficient data to show that a transplant for a patient in Sarkisyan's condition would be safe and effective. Lawyers for her family are exploring litigation against Cigna.
The California court agreed with CIGNA's position that the Sarkisyans' claims regarding CIGNA's decision-making were preempted by federal ERISA law. On April 16, 2009, the United States District Court for the Central District of California dismissed all of the claims against CIGNA related to the coverage determination.
Controversy
The UK newspaper GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in their "Esc and Ctrl" videoblog about control of Internet by corporations documented an incident of Nataline Sarkisyan
Nataline Sarkisyan
Nataline Mary Sarkisyan was an American teenager with recurrent leukemia, first diagnosed at age 14, who received a bone marrow transplant from her brother Bedros, November 27, 2007...
and former vice president of CIGNA talked about astroturfing
Astroturfing
Astroturfing is a form of advocacy in support of a political, organizational, or corporate agenda, designed to give the appearance of a "grassroots" movement. The goal of such campaigns is to disguise the efforts of a political and/or commercial entity as an independent public reaction to some...
, the practice of creating fake blogs by interested groups e.g. health insurance companies to push claims that are profitable for said company into media, e.g. dismissing universal health care.
Awards
CIGNA received gold in the 2009 GartnerGartner
Gartner, Inc. is an information technology research and advisory firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. It was known as GartnerGroup until 2001....
& 1to1 Customer Experience Excellence Award. The awards are given to the companies that "most clearly demonstrate exemplary customer relationship strategy and an unrivaled level of excellence in delivering the customer experience".
CIGNA also recently received the JD Power award for customer service for all of its call centers for the fourth time in a row. According to the company, JD power ensures "CIGNA HealthCare’s call center operations successfully passed a detailed audit of its recruiting, training, employee incentives, quality assurance capabilities, and management roles and responsibilities."
Community and civic affairs and charitable giving
In 2008, the CIGNA Foundation contributed $2,533,535 to charitable activities that promote wellness. Since 1995, CIGNA and its employees have contributed $22.3 million to the March of Dimes.In July 2010, CIGNA began giving each company employee eight hours of paid time off annually to volunteer with non-profit health and community service organizations. The Salvation Army of Greater Philadelphia
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
helped kicked off the program in front of CIGNA's Philadelphia headquarters with the Christmas in July campaign.
Lobbying
CIGNA spent more than $4.4 million from 2005 to 2009 on lobbyingLobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...
to attain legislation that the company favors. This includes $720,000 spent in 2009 alone, when it had 20 lobbyists at five different firms working on their behalf.
Competitors
- Blue Cross Blue ShieldBlue Cross and Blue Shield AssociationThe Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is a federation of 39 separate health insurance organizations and companies in the United States. Combined, they directly or indirectly provide health insurance to over 100 million Americans. The history of Blue Cross dates back to 1929, while the history of...
- AetnaAetnaAetna, Inc. is an American health insurance company, providing a range of traditional and consumer directed health care insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care, and disability plans, and medical management...
Inc. (AET) - HumanaHumanaHumana Inc. , founded in 1961 in Louisville, Kentucky, is a Fortune 100 company that markets and administers health insurance. With a customer base of over 11.5 million in the United States, the company is the largest Fortune 100 company headquartered in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and has a...
Inc. (HUM) - UnitedHealth GroupUnitedHealth GroupUnitedHealth Group Incorporated is a diversified health and "well-being" company. Headquartered in Minnetonka, Minnesota, UnitedHealth Group offers a spectrum of products and services through two operating businesses: United Healthcare and Optum. Through its family of subsidiaries and divisions,...
Incorporated (UNH) - WellPointWellPointWellPoint, Inc. is the largest health plan company in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. It was formed when WellPoint Health Networks, Inc. merged into Anthem, Inc., with the surviving Anthem adopting the name, WellPoint, Inc...
, Inc. (WLP) - Health NetHealth NetHealth Net, Inc. is among the United States of America's largest publicly traded health insurers. The company’s HMO, POS, insured PPO and government contracts subsidiaries provide health benefits to approximately 6.6 million individuals in all 50 states and the District of Columbia through group,...
, Inc. (HNT)
Strategic Alliances
On April 16, 2010, CIGNA announced an alliance with HumanaHumana
Humana Inc. , founded in 1961 in Louisville, Kentucky, is a Fortune 100 company that markets and administers health insurance. With a customer base of over 11.5 million in the United States, the company is the largest Fortune 100 company headquartered in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and has a...
group to offer a streamlined Medicare advantage offering through employer clients for retirees.
Related programs
- Silver silver planCigna (CIGNA and CMC) insurance on the insured in the Asia-Pacific countries and regions for the usual and customary level of medical costs of providing emergency, inpatient, fertility, medical and dental high-end medical insurance.
- Gold gold planCigna (CIGNA and CMC) insurance on the insured in the global or non USA for general practice level of medical costs of providing emergency, inpatient, fertility, medical and dental high-end medical insurance.
- Platinum platinum planCigna (CIGNA and CM) insurance on the insured in the global or non USA for general practice level of medical costs of providing emergency, inpatient, fertility, medical and dental high-end medical insurance.
See also
- List of United States insurance companies
- Cigna International Expatriate BenefitsCigna International Expatriate BenefitsCIGNA International Expatriate Benefits is a business unit within the Fortune 500 company known as the CIGNA Corporation. CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, in close proximity to Philadelphia, PA. Additional CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits...
- Ebenezer HazardEbenezer HazardEbenezer Hazard was deputy Postmaster of New York City who later became Postmaster General.-Biography:He was born in Philadelphia and educated at Princeton University. He established a publishing business in New York in , but quit that business after five years...