PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 20, 2004 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIGNA Group Insurance today announced a new suite of services to help customers with disabilities return to work, including volunteer assignments that serve as stepping stones as people transition back into a regular work routine. Other innovative approaches to helping people return to work include telecommuting and work-at-home options for those who live in remote locations and tough labor markets.
These services are part of a nationwide focus on vocational rehabilitation, celebrated every September as part of National Rehabilitation Awareness Week -- a time to spread the message that rehabilitation can increase opportunities for the nearly 50 million Americans with disabilities. CIGNA Group Insurance is the 2004 sponsor of this week, held from Sept. 19-25 in cooperation with the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation of Scranton, Pa.
“CIGNA Group Insurance works with leading vocational rehabilitation experts within and outside our company to offer creative, practical, proactive solutions to enable people to return to work,” said Gregory H. Wolf, president of CIGNA Group Insurance. “These include a unique approach to return-to-work by placing people in transitional arrangements, such as volunteer assignments, to help re-orient them to a regular working schedule and build up their confidence.”
CIGNA’s far-reaching vocational rehabilitation capabilities now include three new major components:
Personalized transitional work, including volunteer assignments: Through Philadelphia-based Intracorp, a CIGNA subsidiary and recognized leader in case management and return-to-work services, CIGNA places individuals in personalized transitional assignments while they are unable to return to traditional work demands. Transitional work can be offered through tasks developed by an Intracorp vocational specialist within the individual’s original workplace, or in volunteer positions in non-profit organizations. Transitional work serves as a productive step in an individual’s treatment and recovery plan. These work assignments promote safe activity as well as personal self-esteem as the individual with a disability re-enters the work world.
Home-based work for people who live in remote locations: Through a strategic alliance with Pittsburgh-based Catalyst RTW, CIGNA helps people in tough labor markets nationwide who have limited access to employment. Catalyst helps locate home-based employment for employees at companies that need survey callers, customer service phone representatives, proof-readers or data entry staff. On-the-job training subsidized by CIGNA is provided for up to 750 hours. People with disabilities who had previously worked in jobs ranging from coal miners to grocery store clerks have all benefited from this type of training and job placement when they couldn’t return to their former line of work.
Telecommuting arrangements: Through a strategic alliance with Pittsburgh-based Expediter Corp., CIGNA makes telecommuting arrangements for workers with disabilities who cannot return to their former jobs. Expediter has provided nationwide, innovative return-to-work solutions for individuals with disabilities since 1990 and can customize employment opportunities in 98 percent of cases, regardless of an individual’s location, injury, or disability. Expediter’s telecommuting programs have proven to help people return to work up to four times faster than typical return-to-work programs, often allowing employees to return to work immediately.
“Through the wide range of vocational rehabilitation approaches we offer, the possibilities for successful return to work are limitless. We are here to support people in returning to work in as many ways as possible,” Wolf said.
What is Vocational Rehabilitation?
Rehabilitation is a medical specialty that helps restore people to health and productive lives after a potentially disabling disease or injury. Most Americans will require at least one rehabilitative service in their lives, according to the National Rehabilitation Foundation. For every $1 spent on rehabilitative care, it is estimated that $11 is saved on long-term disability costs, according to the National Rehabilitation Foundation.
Vocational rehabilitation is the process of developing return-to-work options for someone with a disability, using his or her skills and functional capabilities, and began in 1920 with the passing of the National Rehabilitation Act. Vocational rehabilitation was developed originally to assist injured American veterans in finding employment after returning with war injuries, and is celebrated nationally as part of National Rehabilitation Awareness Week.
CIGNA’s vocational rehabilitation counselors have master’s degrees in rehabilitation counseling and are nationally certified by the Commission of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors. “Our vocational rehabilitation counselors exemplify the expert resources who are available throughout the disability claim organization for our customers,” said Mark Marsters, senior vice president of CIGNA’s group disability claim operation.
For other information on National Rehabilitation Week, call Chris Tweedy at 800-943-NRAF or visit the National Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation website at http://www.nraf-rehabnet.org/
About CIGNA
As a Business of Caring, CIGNA provides employers with benefits programs, expertise and services that improve the health, well-being and productivity of their employees. Serving millions of 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; group life, accident and disability insurance, and health care coverages for expatriate employees.
CIGNA Group Insurance
Contact: Gloria Barone of CIGNA, +1-215-761-4758 orgloria.barone@cigna.com
Web site: http://www.nraf-rehabnet.org/
Web site: http://www.cigna.com/
