CIGNA Offers Integrated Desktop System For Integrated Care

Employers looking to integrate their workers' compensation, disability and health care benefits can use a new product from CIGNA that integrates telephonic reporting (intake), claim and care management. The product, CIGNA UniLynx, uses a Windows-based platform to combine technology for intake, claim assignment, coordination of benefits and care management across three CIGNA divisions, resulting in what the company describes as real-time, streamlined benefits for employers and their employees.

"CIGNA IntegratedCare works collaboratively with CIGNA HealthCare, CIGNA Group Insurance, CIGNA Property & Casualty and Intracorp to integrate health care delivery with lost-time management," explains Tony Cuva, a technology leader for the organization. "These businesses use their own unique computer systems, meaning their technology is like a roomful of people who don't speak the same language—someone needs to translate. At IntegratedCare, the all-important translator is CIGNA UniLynx." CIGNA IntegratedCare refers to integrated services provided by CIGNA Property & Casualty, CIGNA Group Insurance and CIGNA HealthCare companies.

CIGNA UniLynx integrates CIGNA's claim-handling systems for workers' compensation, short- and long-term disability and care management in one desktop, along with other such useful tools as intake and a Web-based integrated notes and diaries function. "Together these tools let claim handlers, benefit specialists and care management specialists work from real-time data to manage claims and interact with employers, employees and medical providers," says Cuva. "CIGNA UniLynx also features a scripted interview process that concisely gathers pertinent information."

Emphasis is Intake
The company says the intake process is key to the new integrated technology. The process begins when an employee calls the toll-free number at the CIGNA IntegratedCare Customer Service Center to either report an injury or illness, or to give advance notice of an upcoming medical procedure and any anticipated time away from work. The scripted interview process typically takes less than 8 minutes and involves gathering key information about the claim. The claim is then automatically assigned to an account-dedicated team leader, who uses diagnosis-based criteria to triage the claim to the benefit specialist and nurse care specialist as needed.

"CIGNA UniLynx gives the claim team members—workers' compensation claim representatives, nurse care specialists, intake specialists and benefit specialists—a holistic view of the claimant's occupational and nonoccupational conditions," says Cuva. "Team members can review the individual's claims for health care, workers' compensation and disability collectively, providing a "big picture" of the claimant's overall health and return-to-work potential, without compromising confidentiality."

Housing data in a central location also allows the care and claim management team to better assess the claim, coordinate care, determine disability duration and develop an effective return-to-work strategy, adds Cuva. It also allows more effective reporting to the employer. "Many companies have no idea what their aggregate costs are," he says, "CIGNA UniLynx provides up-to-the-minute results."