CIGNA Partners with New York Attorney General to create new
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CIGNA Partners with New York Attorney General to create new database of individual reimbursement
Business Editors / Health / Medical Writers / Insurance Writers
PHILADELPHIA - (BUSINESS WIRE) - February 17, 2009 - CIGNA today announced it has entered into a partnership with New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo to support the creation of an independent, non-profit organization to manage a new database to determine the reasonable and customary charges when people get treatment covered by doctors from outside the CIGNA network. CIGNA has agreed to contribute $ 10 million to the new non-profit to help people get accurate and transparent information on costs of care they receive. CIGNA will also assist the new non-profit in this effort by providing data for billing and claims.
"CIGNA commends the Attorney General's efforts to introduce more transparency in the pricing of health care services and we are pleased to participate in the creation of an independent, non-profit organization to manage the new database" said Dan Nicolls, MD, medical director of the northern region of CIGNA. "As a leader in health care cost and quality transparency, we hope that this new database will allow people to make informed choices about their purchases of health care."
In line with the rest of the industry, many health plans CIGNA give individuals the opportunity to elect to receive care from a doctor who is in the corporate network or a doctor who does not of a contract and is not in the network. CIGNA Network provides access to physicians who provide quality care and who agreed to charge reasonable fees for their services. If a person decides to receive care from a non-network doctor, he or she is reimbursed on the basis of a fixed amount that was based on the Ingenix database, and the individual is responsible the difference between fixed costs and fees charged.
A fully transparent system will provide consumers with additional information to assist the doctor in their selection process. For example, it reveals that for 15 minutes to visit the office in New York City - the most common services - health plans, on average, $ 74 to enable the network of doctors and as much as $ 160 using the base Ingenix data off-network doctors. Medicare pays $ 70 to the network of physicians and $ 77 outside the network of doctors for the same office visit. However, on average, off-network physicians (who are in charge beyond the amount already set by the Ingenix database) charge consumers $ 214 - for the same service. Over 95 percent of office visits are made to physicians the network today, and CIGNA believes that increased transparency in pricing will continue to support physician efforts to drive a lower cost, high care quality.
Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, said: "Employers support greater transparency and support health plans to continue to determine what is reasonable and fair to non-network doctors .
CIGNA is a leader in online healthcare information and tools for decision support and continues to develop new capacity online to help people improve their health, welfare and Security and better understand their health care. CIGNA was among the first to provide radiology and outpatient surgery costs, dental costs estimate and provide real-time alongside drug prices from 57,000 pharmacies nationally, each individual according to a specific plan of Health. The agreement reached today CIGNA expands its efforts to empower consumers to make choices and decisions.
About CIGNA
CIGNA (NYSE: CI), a global health services, dedicated to helping people improve their health, welfare and safety. CIGNA Corporation operating subsidiaries provide an integrated range of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and the provision of vision care and group life, accident and disability insurance, about 47 million people across the United States and the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com.
CIGNA
Chris Curran, 215-470-2414
Chris.Curran @ cigna.com
State Keywords: Pennsylvania
Industry Keywords: Technology, data management, networks, other technology, health, public policy / government, other health, state / local professional services, insurance
Source: CIGNA
Copyright © 2009 Business Wire Business Editors / Health / Medical Writers / Insurance Writers PHILADELPHIA - - February 17, 2009 - CIGNA today announced it has entered into a partnership with New York Attorney General Andrew M.
Business Editors / Health / Medical Writers / Insurance Writers
PHILADELPHIA - (BUSINESS WIRE) - February 17, 2009 - CIGNA today announced it has entered into a partnership with New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo to support the creation of an independent, non-profit organization to manage a new database to determine the reasonable and customary charges when people get treatment covered by doctors from outside the CIGNA network. CIGNA has agreed to contribute $ 10 million to the new non-profit to help people get accurate and transparent information on costs of care they receive. CIGNA will also assist the new non-profit in this effort by providing data for billing and claims.
"CIGNA commends the Attorney General's efforts to introduce more transparency in the pricing of health care services and we are pleased to participate in the creation of an independent, non-profit organization to manage the new database" said Dan Nicolls, MD, medical director of the northern region of CIGNA. "As a leader in health care cost and quality transparency, we hope that this new database will allow people to make informed choices about their purchases of health care."
In line with the rest of the industry, many health plans CIGNA give individuals the opportunity to elect to receive care from a doctor who is in the corporate network or a doctor who does not of a contract and is not in the network. CIGNA Network provides access to physicians who provide quality care and who agreed to charge reasonable fees for their services. If a person decides to receive care from a non-network doctor, he or she is reimbursed on the basis of a fixed amount that was based on the Ingenix database, and the individual is responsible the difference between fixed costs and fees charged.
A fully transparent system will provide consumers with additional information to assist the doctor in their selection process. For example, it reveals that for 15 minutes to visit the office in New York City - the most common services - health plans, on average, $ 74 to enable the network of doctors and as much as $ 160 using the base Ingenix data off-network doctors. Medicare pays $ 70 to the network of physicians and $ 77 outside the network of doctors for the same office visit. However, on average, off-network physicians (who are in charge beyond the amount already set by the Ingenix database) charge consumers $ 214 - for the same service. Over 95 percent of office visits are made to physicians the network today, and CIGNA believes that increased transparency in pricing will continue to support physician efforts to drive a lower cost, high care quality.
Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, said: "Employers support greater transparency and support health plans to continue to determine what is reasonable and fair to non-network doctors .
CIGNA is a leader in online healthcare information and tools for decision support and continues to develop new capacity online to help people improve their health, welfare and Security and better understand their health care. CIGNA was among the first to provide radiology and outpatient surgery costs, dental costs estimate and provide real-time alongside drug prices from 57,000 pharmacies nationally, each individual according to a specific plan of Health. The agreement reached today CIGNA expands its efforts to empower consumers to make choices and decisions.
About CIGNA
CIGNA (NYSE: CI), a global health services, dedicated to helping people improve their health, welfare and safety. CIGNA Corporation operating subsidiaries provide an integrated range of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and the provision of vision care and group life, accident and disability insurance, about 47 million people across the United States and the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com.
CIGNA
Chris Curran, 215-470-2414
Chris.Curran @ cigna.com
State Keywords: Pennsylvania
Industry Keywords: Technology, data management, networks, other technology, health, public policy / government, other health, state / local professional services, insurance
Source: CIGNA
Copyright © 2009 Business Wire Business Editors / Health / Medical Writers / Insurance Writers PHILADELPHIA - - February 17, 2009 - CIGNA today announced it has entered into a partnership with New York Attorney General Andrew M.
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