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Cigna and St. Joseph Hoag Health Develop Innovative New Products for Health Care Delivery in Greater Orange County
[October 08, 2015]

Cigna and St. Joseph Hoag Health Develop Innovative New Products for Health Care Delivery in Greater Orange County


Cigna (NYSE: CI) and St. Joseph Hoag Health (Irvine, Calif.) are partnering in a new joint venture to offer Orange (News - Alert) County employers integrated health care products designed to improve access, enhance the patient experience and improve affordability. The products, which will be offered at significant savings, were developed through a unique collaboration between a provider and a health insurer that together share the common goal of improving their customers' health and well-being while reducing health care costs.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151008005100/en/

Effective January 1, 2016, St. Joseph Hoag Health and Cigna will jointly offer employers HMO health plans branded as St. Joseph Hoag Health Select, and exclusive provider organization (EPO) plans branded as St. Joseph Hoag Health Flex. The agreement includes pay-for-value incentives that encourage quality and appropriate use of resources. The ultimate goal is to improve health outcomes and provide sustained affordability and value for employers and their employees.

"We are building an innovative environment where all the stakeholders in health care - providers, payers, employer clients and customers - collaborate to achieve aligned goals," said Richard Afable, M.D., president and CEO of St. Joseph Hoag Health. "With Cigna, we have an ideal partner to make health care more affordable and more personalized for people who live and work in our region."

"Our approach to health care is different because it's based on very close integration between Cigna and St. Joseph Hoag Health, with a unified purpose - putting the customer at the center of all we do," said Gene Rapisardi, president and general manager for Cigna's Southern California and Nevada markets. "Our product is not focused simply on unit cost and volume of service. Together, we're building a new health care delivery ecosystem dedicated to improved performance, sustained affordability and enhanced customer experience."

Care coordination and health improvement pograms are key components of the new model. Individuals will benefit from streamlined processes for health care and coverage, easier navigation when care is needed, new tools for health and wellness, better access to clinicians, and greater use of technology, such as telemedicine and medical device monitoring. Additionally, employers may opt for services such as health coaching and nurse case management, workplace wellness programs and programs to help people manage chronic health conditions. The aim is to realize long-term, sustainable savings while helping individuals achieve better health and greater satisfaction with their health care services.



Cigna and St. Joseph Hoag Health already have a track record of successfully working together. In the fall of 2014, Cigna and St. Joseph Hoag Health launched Select Network, a new employee health plan option providing medical insurance through a network comprising St. Joseph Hoag Health hospitals and physicians and Children's Hospital of Orange County.

Several employer groups, including the employees of St. Joseph Hoag Health, began using Select Network as an option for their employees in January 2015, with more than 20,000 individuals enrolled. Those customers will be enrolled in the new plans offered through the joint venture.


The new products will offer access to the flagship hospitals of St. Joseph Hoag Health: Hoag Newport Beach; Hoag Irvine; Hoag Orthopedic Institute Irvine; Mission Hospital, Mission Viejo; Mission Hospital, Laguna Beach; St. Joseph Hospital, Orange; and St. Jude Medical Center, Fullerton; along with eight medical groups and physician networks with approximately 1,700 physicians, and numerous outpatient and urgent care facilities in Orange County. The plans will also provide access to Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and CHOC Children's at Mission Hospital. Both are affiliates of St. Joseph Hoag Health.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has approximately 89 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter (News - Alert), visit www.cigna.com.

About St. Joseph Hoag Health

St. Joseph Hoag Health is an historic alliance for Orange County, laying the foundation for sweeping changes in the delivery and accessibility of high quality health care. Combined, St. Joseph Hoag Health has earned some of the highest honors for medical care, including Magnet designation for its hospitals (the highest honor bestowed to hospitals for nursing excellence), and "best of" listings in US News & World Report. Drawing upon the strengths of two renowned health care organizations, St. Joseph Hoag Health focuses on meeting the big challenges of health care today, including expanding access, improving wellness and preventive services, ensuring quality and developing more efficient methods in the delivery of care. The network includes nine hospitals, 26 urgent care centers, 475 primary care physicians and 1,250 specialists. It has also developed the nationally recognized Wellness Corners, which bring services for health and well-being right to some of the region's largest business and residential centers. For more information, visit http://www.stjosephhoaghealth.org/


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