Media Questions and Answers - Hurricane Katrina

Q: What percentage of CIGNA's membership was affected by the Hurricane?

A: CIGNA is still gathering this information. CIGNA has 160,000 to 175,000 members in the affected Gulf areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Additionally, CIGNA believes approximately 600 of its group life, accident and disability insureds may have been affected.

Q: Were CIGNA employees affected and what is CIGNA doing in response?

A: All of CIGNA's employees are safe, although several have suffered property destruction or damage. As a result, these employees are unable to work. They lack electricity, phone service and are experiencing other disruptions. It is also critical that they take the time they may need to resolve personal issues including alternative housing, insurance and FEMA issues. CIGNA will continue to pay salaries and benefits to each of these employees while they are unable to work, for up to six weeks. At the end of that period, we will reassess the progress that has been made recovering from this disaster and each employee's personal situation to determine if additional steps are required.

Q: What are CIGNA's IT recovery plans in the wake of this disaster?

A: There has been no impact to CIGNA's Information Technology.

Q: How will CIGNA work with providers?

A: CIGNA will continue working with providers to meet the health and medical challenges of our displaced members from the impacted areas and will have more details in the coming weeks. For more information, providers are invited to visit www.cigna.com or call 1.800.88.CIGNA.

Q: What is CIGNA doing to help impacted members?

A: Many people who are insured by CIGNA have been displaced and will be seeking care out of their network areas. In order for members to more easily access medical care and services, we have temporarily modified certain standard claim approval requirements including requirements for precertification, referrals, medical necessity determinations and hospital admission procedures.

Members from the affected disaster areas who cannot access CIGNA participating physicians, hospitals or other providers for the dates of service from August 27, 2005 to September 30, 2005 will be able to seek care as needed, for which in-network benefits will apply. If members are unable to see their primary care physician, they should seek care as needed from any available medical professional.

Q: What does it mean that you are modifying claim approval requirements? Can you explain further?

A: Essentially, we are suspending the need for members and their providers to get precertifications or referrals for procedures and treatments that usually require it. Similarly, we are not reviewing claims for medical necessity. The important thing is that our members get the care they need.

Q: What if members can't access an in-network provider?

A: Members should seek the care they need. If they cannot access an in-network provider, they should seek care from any available health care professional. Coverage will be provided at the in-network benefit level.

Q: What is CIGNA doing about payment of premiums?

A: CIGNA HealthCare announced that the grace period for receipt of premium payment by our affected customers has been extended an additional 30 days, to a total of 61 days, to help offset business challenges caused by the disaster. CIGNA Group Insurance announced it will allow an appropriate extension of time for making premium payments for life, accident and disability coverage, and for certain other time sensitive policy transactions, such as receipt of medical information and conversion requests for certificate holders in the affected areas.

Q: What relief efforts are underway for members in terms of medical and behavioral help, prescription benefits, etc.?

A: Several measures have been put in place to help CIGNA members and insureds access care, including the following:

Medical Care

• CIGNA has temporarily modified certain standard claim approval requirements including requirements for precertification, referrals, medical necessity determinations and hospital admission procedures in order for members to more easily access medical care and services.
  
  
• Members who cannot access CIGNA participating physicians, hospitals or other providers should seek care as needed from any available health care professional. Coverage will be provided for such care at the in-network benefit level.
  
  
• Members may also access valuable health information by speaking with trained Registered Nurses through the CIGNA HealthCare 24-Hour Health Information LineSM, http://www.cigna.com/health/consumer/medical/24hour_access.html which is accessible by calling the toll-free number on their member ID cards. Nurses are available around the clock, seven days a week. They can answer specific questions about health issues, provide general health information, and act as a patient advocate in assessing emerging symptoms and recommending appropriate settings for care.

• CIGNA Behavioral Health (CBH) has expanded its telephone helpline to help residents of the Gulf Coast communities affected by the hurricane cope with disaster-related stress. Phone lines are staffed with trained counselors who are available to speak with individuals about how to cope with grief, anxiety, stress or other issues in the aftermath of the disaster.
  
  
• Any resident of the region can call 888.622.6470 to reach a trained CBH counselor. This phone line will be open to the public in these areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week as long as needed.
  
  
• The CBH website also contains information to help the general public cope with natural disasters.

• CIGNA Pharmacy Management will allow members to order refills of their prescription medications early to replace medicines lost or destroyed, and will waive medical necessity reviews.
  
  
• Members who normally receive their prescriptions in the mail through CIGNA Tel-Drug can have medications shipped overnight at no additional cost. If shipping to the member at this time is not feasible, the member can request that the prescription be transferred to a local retail pharmacy by calling CIGNA Tel-Drug at 800.835.3784. In addition, CIGNA Tel-Drug will replace lost or damaged medication at no charge to members.

• CIGNA Dental members can access emergency and urgent dental care with no additional charges. Referral requirements for Dental HMO members are being waived, and upon request out-of-network claims will be treated as in-network for Dental PPO members.
  
  
• Members who need assistance with dental questions, or help locating a dental provider, can contact a CIGNA Dental Member Service representative at 1.800.CIGNA24. Members with access to the internet can also locate participating providers via the online Provider Directory on www.cigna.com.
  
  
• Additionally, CIGNA Dental is providing 50,000 dental hygiene kits to the American Red Cross to support victims of the disaster.

Q: Where can CIGNA members and insureds call for more information?

A: CIGNA members are encouraged to call the toll-free phone number on their health care membership cards for further information. If the membership card is not available, they can contact our nationwide Customer Service telephone number 1.800.CIGNA24 (1.800.244.6224). Disability claimants can call 800.362.4462 at any time, 24/7. Anyone with a Life or Accident inquiry can call 800.732.9047, around the clock. People also can access our online Provider Directory to find CIGNA-participating physicians, hospitals, pharmacies and other health care providers.

Q: How will CIGNA handle death claims?

A: If the Death Certificate is not available, CIGNA will, in some cases, be able to accept alternate proof of death. We will help our customers through this process.

Q: How will CIGNA reach people who may have been displaced by the hurricane so that they will receive their life, accident or disability benefits checks?

A: We will make every effort to contact claimants or beneficiaries to obtain a viable mailing address for those areas where mail delivery has been halted or temporarily suspended. Claimants and beneficiaries can contact us to make alternative arrangements. Disability claimants can call 800.362.4462. Anyone with a Life or Accident inquiry can call 800.732.9047. We have waived the Stop Payment hold period, which is normally 10 business days. Disability benefit checks that were not received will be reissued immediately. We are working with the CIGNA Treasury Department to allow claimants to cash benefit checks without the customary "hold" period. Additionally, claimants will not have to complete an EFT payment form to begin receiving electronic payments.

Q: How long will claim accommodations be in place?

A: We will keep accommodations in place until at least Sept. 30 and will evaluate longer term need at that time.

Q: Has CIGNA or its employees contributed to the relief effort?

A: We recognize that one of the best ways we can help address this terrible situation is to provide funds to an established organization - like the American Red Cross - to help in the humanitarian efforts. CIGNA made an immediate contribution of $500,000 to the American Red Cross. In addition, the CIGNA Foundation established a special matching gifts program that will provide two dollars for every dollar our employees give to relief charities, up to an additional $500,000.

Q: Are CIGNA employees involved in volunteering in the relief effort and how is CIGNA handling that?

A: CIGNA has received a number of inquiries from CIGNA employees around the country who are interested in volunteering to help in the relief effort. CIGNA will provide two weeks paid leave for any employee who is volunteering to go to the affected area in a professional capacity. This includes medical professionals, mental health counselors, volunteer firefighters or others who can provide professional services to aid in the recovery. In order to arrange for paid leave, employees will need to submit a written request to their managers. Employees who wish to volunteer for additional time or other employees who wish to volunteer in a non-professional capacity may use their vacation or Paid-Time-Off (PTO) time. Volunteers will need to secure in advance their manager's approval for the time off.

Any employee who is a member of the National Guard and called up for hurricane support duty will be provided paid leave for up to 90 days under our Military Leave policy.

Q: What is CIGNA's view of the long-term impact of Hurricane Katrina on the health care industry?

A: It is difficult to speculate on the future, but we believe that this national tragedy has brought out the best in people across the country and across CIGNA. We are committed to continuing our support of hurricane relief efforts for our own employees and for all those affected.