BLOOMFIELD, Conn., March 1, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Consumers will have more choices and an easy way to build a customized health benefits plan to fit their individual health care and financial needs through CIGNA Custom Benefit Builder(SM), a new capability introduced today by CIGNA HealthCare.
CIGNA Custom Benefit Builder combines state-of-the-art technology with consumer information and decision support tools to give consumers a simple, step-by-step way to learn about and model their benefits. Consumers can personalize their co-payment and coinsurance levels, deductibles and out-of- pocket maximums. As these choices are made, CIGNA Custom Benefit Builder automatically calculates how much the plan will cost and then allows the consumer to enroll for benefits, all using one integrated online application.
"As consumerism continues to gain momentum in the marketplace, our goal is to continue to give consumers more choices and more control over their health care decision-making," said Tom Richards, senior vice president of product for CIGNA HealthCare. "CIGNA Custom Benefit Builder is an industry-leading next step in extending to health care benefits the same kind of choice and personalization that consumers increasingly enjoy for many other types of purchases they make."
According to a recent CIGNA HealthCare survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, the option to personalize their health care insurance to their needs and budget is one that would be clearly valued by a majority (81%) of consumers. More than three-quarters (79%) of consumers indicated that they are confident in their ability to decide how much coverage they need and how much they are willing to pay for that coverage.
In fact, eighty-seven percent of those surveyed said they would value a health plan that lets them decide how much they would pay for things like doctor visits, lets them select their prescription drug plan and provides a simple, easy-to-use tool that lets them decide how those choices affect how much their health insurance costs.
Richards said that in the past, an employer would have had to offer dozens of separate benefit plans to get the same level of choice that CIGNA Custom Benefit Builder will now enable through an online tool in just a few simple steps.
In addition to choice, consumers also want ease when building their customized benefit plan. Seventy-two percent of consumers would value a health plan that would allow them to make their health insurance choices using online technology in a manner similar to online shopping for consumer products. Powered by Choicelinx technology and initially available for large national employers for benefit plans taking effect beginning January 1, 2007, CIGNA Custom Benefit Builder (http://www.CIGNACustomBenefits.com) allows consumers to:
-- model their expected heath care use based on age, gender and health status; -- conduct "what if" scenarios demonstrating how different choices affect costs; -- calculate how much their health care benefits will cost them each pay period based on the options they select and their employers' contributions to their benefits; -- choose the pharmacy plan that best meets their needs; -- review available incentives offered by the employer for enrolling in wellness and disease management programs; -- understand all their benefit options; and, -- enroll online. About the survey
The CIGNA HealthCare survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, a survey-based research company, and was fielded February 17-20, 2006. It includes responses from a random sample of 683 individuals who have access to an employer-sponsored health insurance plan. Survey results based on 683 interviews are considered accurate to within 3.7 percentage points.
About Choicelinx
Choicelinx is a CIGNA-owned benefits technology and services company specializing in a new generation of Web-based and consumer-focused employee benefits products for the health insurance industry. Choicelinx products improve health plan operations and achieve efficiencies through seamless automation of data collection and transmission. Choicelinx is headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire.
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.
CIGNA HealthCareCONTACT: Nicole Blatcher of CIGNA HealthCare, +1-215-761-4756,nicole.blatcher@cigna.com
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