BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Dec. 10, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIGNA HealthCare today announced its support of the bipartisan efforts of the House and Senate to make health care more affordable, accessible and responsive to the needs of America's consumers.
A bicameral package would, among its provisions, enable consumers to save more on a tax-free basis for their retirement health care expenses and enable employers to provide additional assistance to lower-paid workers and their families.
"Well designed consumer-directed health plans have demonstrably reduced the cost of health care while maintaining quality, and we applaud the House and Senate's bipartisan efforts to make these plans more accessible and responsive to the needs of America's working families," said CIGNA HealthCare Senior Vice President, Michael Showalter.
CIGNA HealthCare recently completed a year-long analysis of 38,200 new users of the carrier's consumer-driven health care plans, called CIGNA Choice Fund(SM), that showed these members are becoming more cost-conscious, but are not sacrificing recommended care to save money and are also benefiting financially. Key findings from the analysis show that:
* CIGNA Choice Fund is helping to control costs -- Costs for CIGNA Choice
Fund HRA and HSA members decreased and were about 16 percent lower than
costs for those enrolled in traditional plans;
* Cost-shifting did not occur -- Member out-of-pocket costs decreased for
CIGNA Choice Fund HRA members when compared to the prior year;
* Members continued to receive appropriate care -- CIGNA Choice Fund HRA
and HSA members increased their use of preventive care services, health
care quality was maintained on hundreds of measures of evidence-based
medicine, and use of medications that support chronic conditions
increased, signaling that members are not foregoing needed care;
* Consumers are becoming more engaged -- Consumers report increased
awareness and engagement in managing their health care as compared to
two years ago.
A summary of this analysis is available on the CIGNA.com Web site: http://cigna.mediaroom.com/file.php/100/804096b+4pgFinal.pdf.
According to Showalter, the legislation would make consumer health coverage more affordable, accessible and flexible by allowing people to contribute more to their HSAs and allowing one-time rollovers from IRA, FSA and HRA funds into an HSA, among other provisions.
About CIGNA HealthCare
CIGNA HealthCare, headquartered in Bloomfield, CT, provides medical benefits plans, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, pharmacy benefits and products and services that integrate and analyze information to support consumerism and health advocacy. "CIGNA HealthCare" refers to various operating subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation . Products and services are provided by these operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation.
