CIGNA Unit Expands Integrated Benefit Offering

CIGNA IntegratedCare, a subsidiary of CIGNA Corporation that integrates health care, workers' compensation, and short- and long-term disability benefits, announced today that it is offering integrated medical delivery nationwide and adding more flexibility to its MedReturns product. MedReturns, which integrates medical and lost-time management into a single comprehensive medical delivery system, is now available with or without the workers' compensation component.

"Employers we've talked to say they need various options to implement an integrated program," says Dr. Peter C. Dandalides, CIGNA IntegratedCare's vice president and medical director. "The additional flexibility in MedReturns allows us to accommodate employer needs better and provides a platform for future expansion as they become ready."

He cites as an example the employer who is interested in integrating the company's non-occupational disability management with its CIGNA HealthCare programs, while simultaneously maintaining its current, separate workers' compensation program. "By choosing the new option for MedReturns, this employer can take advantage of the loss-cost savings that make integration so attractive," says Dandalides, adding that he anticipates customers can experience a 10 percent to 30 percent reduction in disability duration depending on the performance of their current programs.

MedReturns also can integrate medical and lost-time management across several different health care options, such as preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and CIGNA's managed indemnity plans. The initial MedReturns offered an HMO delivery system in four states; customers now can choose from several product combinations nationwide to reduce their benefit costs and streamline claims administration. For example, they can integrate their lost-time management with a managed indemnity plan or CIGNA HealthCare PPO, or HMO delivery system—or any combination of these plans—to meet their diverse needs better.

"The new flexibility moves us more quickly toward our promise of national integrated medical delivery expansion and gives employers flexibility in implementing an integration strategy by location or as organizational issues dictate," adds Dandalides.

The MedReturns HMO delivery system offering is currently available in Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, St. Louis and Phoenix. The new flexibility and nationwide availability will take effect January 1, 1999. Another CIGNA IntegratedCare offering, AbilityReturns, which provides intake, claims service, and case management of workers' compensation, short-term disability, and long-term disability, has been available nationwide since October 1997.