CIGNA Behavioral Health Expands Depression Disease Management Program

CIGNA
HealthCare today announced it is expanding the availability of its
depression disease management program so that benefit plan sponsors can
offer a single, consistent clinical care program for depression across
their entire workforce.


As part of the program expansion, CIGNA will integrate and analyze data
from an employer's health care and pharmacy benefits vendors along with the
employer's behavioral health data to deliver depression disease management
services. The program will be administered by CIGNA Behavioral Health
(CBH), an industry leader in providing behavioral health care benefits and
programs. The program will also be available through CareAllies, which
offers benefit plan sponsors and third-party administrators health
management programs regardless of their medical plan or provider network.


"Depression is a terrible illness and is a primary driver of medical
costs and poor productivity. What is truly groundbreaking is our ability to
use data from a variety of sources and vendors to target our outreach
efforts into primary care settings. This also means we can simplify the
administration of the program for employers," said Keith Dixon, president
and CEO of CIGNA Behavioral Health.


CIGNA HealthCare first launched its depression disease management
program for members enrolled in a CIGNA HealthCare medical plan in January
2006. Today, approximately 1.5 million CIGNA members have access to the
program through their employers' benefits plans. Early analysis of the
program indicates that members are reporting improvements in depression
symptoms and in adherence to anti-depressant medication.


"CIGNA's Depression Disease Management program goes beyond the
depression education programs currently being offered in the marketplace,"
says Jodi Aronson Prohofsky, senior vice president of operations for CBH.
"The difference is our proactive outreach and the ability of our behavioral
health coaches to help members by understanding their barriers and what
motivates and engages them."


The Depression Disease Management program integrates behavioral,
pharmacy and medical management data to more readily identify members with
depression and assist them in receiving appropriate care. Program features
include:


- Proactive intervention and personalized coaching from CBH
professionals;


- Identification and intervention to avoid drug interactions and ensure
appropriate pharmacy management of anti-depressants;


- Ongoing education and support for the member from behavioral health
specialists to help them follow treatment protocols recommended by
their primary care physician and coordinate referrals for more
specialized care as needed;


- Information and tools for members and family members to help them
better understand and manage depression and potential medication side-
effects;















- Education about depression and depression management for primary care
physicians and OB/GYNs as well as customized feedback about their
patients' progress to help ensure seamless and coordinated care.


CIGNA HealthCare implemented its first CIGNA Well Aware for Better
Health(R) disease management program in 1997 and today provides the
nation's largest population-based disease management program. Over 700,000
people participate in its award-winning programs for asthma, cardiac care,
diabetes, low back pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression,
weight complications and a group of ten additional targeted conditions
including osteoporosis, hepatitis C, and fibromyalgia.


About CIGNA


As a Business of Caring, CIGNA (NYSE: CI) provides employers with
benefits, expertise and services that improve the health, well-being and
productivity of their employees. Serving customers, clients and members in
the U.S. and around the globe, CIGNA's operating subsidiaries offer a full
portfolio of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care
benefits and group life, accident and disability insurance. For more
information, go to cigna.


About CIGNA Behavioral Health


CIGNA Behavioral Health (CBH) provides behavioral care benefit
management, EAPs, and work/life programs to consumers through health plans
offered by large U.S. employers, national and regional HMOs, Taft-Hartley
trusts and disability insurers. CBH, with headquarters in Eden Prairie,
Minn., operates five care management centers around the U.S. in support of
a national network of more than 56,800 independent psychiatrists,
psychologists and clinical social workers and more than 5,100 facilities
and clinics. For more information, visit CIGNABehavioral.


About CareAllies


CareAllies offers benefit plan sponsors and their employees a
proactive, consistent and consumer-focused approach to health and wellness,
regardless of their medical plan or provider network. CareAllies'
proprietary health management and wellness program suite helps employees
improve their health and productivity through patient support, motivation
and coaching, medical information and assistance with management of
clinical services. CareAllies programs are administered through Intracorp,
a CIGNA HealthCare company. For more information, visit
careallies.


CIGNA Behavioral Health

CIGNABehavioral