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About CIGNA HealthCare

CIGNA HealthCare is one of the seven businesses that comprise CIGNA, a global health services company. It focuses mainly on medical, pharmacy and dental care services. The terms "CIGNA HealthCare" and "CIGNA" are used interchangeably due to the latter representing a major arm of the company.

  1. Background

    • CIGNA was founded in 1982 when the Insurance Company of North America (INA)--the first marine insurance company in the United States founded in 1792--merged with the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CG), which was founded in 1865. Today, the company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2009, the company had more than 29,000 employees and full-year revenue valued at $18.4 million.

    Plans

    • As of July 2010, CIGNA has 31 plans available. Almost half of them are medical insurance plans. However, CIGNA also offers dental, pharmacy, vision, life, disability, accident and behavioral health care insurance plans. There is also a plan specifically designed for U.S. expatriates. All CIGNA HealthCare plans can be chosen individually or as groups.

    Other Businesses

    • CIGNA HealthCare is associated with other companies within the CIGNA corporation. This includes Intracorp, CIGNA's case management services provider; CIGNA International, which comprises plans for expatriates; and Union & Government, which serves union members under the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947.

    Controversy

    • CIGNA found itself embroiled in controversy in 2007 when the company refused to pay for a liver transplant of a 17-year-old girl from California named Nataline Sarkisyan, citing that it was outside the scope of the coverage that the girl's plan provided. It was only hours before Sarkisyan's death on Dec. 20, 2007, that CIGNA agreed to the liver transplant. Although the girl's parents sued CIGNA, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sided with the company by dismissing the case on April 16, 2009.

    Awards

    • In 2009, CIGNA was one of the three recipients of the Gartner & 1to1 Customer Experience Excellence Award for customer relationship strategy and customer service. The following year, the company received the J.D. Power and Associates Call Center Certification Award for the fourth time in a row.

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