BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Oct. 18, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Disease Management Association of America (DMAA) has awarded CIGNA HealthCare the 2005 Health Plan/Managed Care Organization Disease Management Leadership Award, recognizing CIGNA’s leadership in providing disease management programs that help members with chronic medical conditions better manage their health.
“CIGNA HealthCare is a national leader in disease management programs,” said Tracey Moorhead, Executive Director of the Disease Management Association of America at a ceremony announcing the award held last night in San Diego. “DMAA is pleased to recognize CIGNA’s continued excellence in designing and implementing disease management programs with the 2005 Award for Health Plan or Managed Care Organization DM Leadership.”
The DMAA recognition is awarded each year during the organization’s annual Disease Management Leadership Forum. The 2005 award is based on several criteria, including commitment to disease management, excellence and innovation in program design and implementation, leadership in outcomes research and measurement and the positive impact an individual health plan has on the overall disease management industry.
“We are very honored to receive this national recognition from an organization that is the leading voice and authority on excellence in disease management,” said Chris Coloian, CIGNA HealthCare’s vice president of disease management. “Our disease management programs are successful because they engage people to learn more about their own health, and they provide the support of nurse coaches to encourage positive changes that lead to better outcomes and lower costs.”
Coloian said that disease management is now recognized by a majority of employers and other providers of health care benefits as a proven strategy to help improve health care quality and reduce costs.
“From an employer’s perspective, one of the most important elements of a disease management program is measuring how the program is working, what value it brings to our employees, and how it impacts our overall medical costs,” said Bob Ihrie, vice president of compensation and benefits for the retailer Lowe’s Companies, Inc., which offers employees CIGNA’s disease management programs.
“We have achieved very positive results through the Well Aware program, both in terms of quality improvement and cost management, and these results have been independently validated. CIGNA’s emphasis on excellence in program design and outcomes measurement has made them an industry leader in disease management,” Ihrie said.
CIGNA HealthCare implemented its first CIGNA Well Aware(SM) disease management program in 1997 and today provides the nation’s largest population- based disease management program in the country in collaboration with American Healthways, Inc. Over 600,000 people are enrolled in its programs for asthma, cardiac care (congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease), diabetes, low back pain and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The Well Aware program is currently being expanded to include programs for depression, obesity and a group of ten additional targeted conditions including osteoporosis, hepatitis C, and fibromyalgia.
American Healthways, Inc. is the nation’s leading and largest provider of specialized, comprehensive disease management, care enhancement and high-risk health management services proven to improve the quality of health care and lower costs. As of August 31, 2005, the Company had nearly 1.9 million lives under management nationwide. For more information visit http://www.americanhealthways.com.
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 HealthCare
CONTACT: Amy Turkington, CIGNA, +1-860-226-3489, amy.turkington@cigna.com
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