PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 30, 2005 /PRNewswire/ -- Intracorp, a wholly owned subsidiary of CIGNA Corporation, announced today that it has been awarded accreditation for its case management programs, utilization management programs and health call center, or 24-hour nurse line, by URAC, a Washington, D.C.-based health accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the healthcare industry. Intracorp provides medical management services to millions of members of CIGNA HealthCare plans and other customers throughout the U.S.
"We've found that the most effective way to deliver quality health care is by marrying consumerism and health advocacy, and by supporting that with actionable information, which is the goal of our health care programs," says Intracorp Chief Medical Officer Allen Woolf, M.D. "We're pleased that the quality of our services has been recognized by URAC."
Intracorp pioneered case management 30 years ago and has been the nation's largest provider of those services for the past six years, according to a 2005 Business Insurance ranking. In 2005, Intracorp managed nearly 1.4 million health care and workers' compensation cases. "Whether someone has an injury or an illness, the goal of our case management and utilization management programs is to keep employees healthy by making sure they get the right care at the right time and in the right setting," says Woolf. "With one of the largest networks of registered nurse case managers and physicians, we're able to help facilitate quality care, ensure patient satisfaction and often improve medical outcomes."
In addition, Intracorp's nurse line, which provides 24-hour telephone triage and health information services to more than 10 million people each year, offers callers around-the-clock, reliable and easily accessible information to make health care decisions that are right for them. "Consumers have an abundance of sources for health and medical information and may become confused about when and where to seek medical attention," continues Woolf. "Nurse line professionals are trained to ensure that the most appropriate levels of care are given, which results in better clinical outcomes and ultimately saves employers money on both costs of care and lost productivity costs."
"By receiving URAC accreditation, Intracorp has demonstrated its commitment to facilitating quality health care, a crucial element in today's society," said Charles Stellar, URAC board chair says. "It is significant that organizations are continuously willing to measure themselves against stringent national standards such as those applied by URAC."
Intracorp currently holds accreditations from URAC in Workers' Compensation Utilization Management, Case Management, Health Utilization Management and Health Call Center.
About Intracorp
Intracorp has two distinct business operations that offer quality, cost- effective health and productivity management services to 28 million individuals nationwide. Serving the health care needs of employers and consumers, Intracorp offers case management, utilization management, disease management and 24-hour nurse line services. Intracorp also provides workers' compensation and disability management services that include case management, utilization management, vocational rehabilitation, return-to-work programs, ergonomic consulting, provider bill review, provider network access, and information management services, to large employers, unions, state and local governments and third party administrators.
IntracorpCONTACT: Arlys Stadum, Intracorp, +1-763-559-5587, arlys.stadum@cigna.com
Web site: http://www.cigna.com/