• Value-based model provides health care professionals with greater resources and aligned-incentives to drive improved health and affordability
• Capital Digestive Care must meet targets for both quality and cost to earn shared savings

Company Website: http://www.cigna.com
SILVER SPRING, Md. -- (Business Wire)

Cigna (NYSE: CI) and Capital Digestive Care are working together to improve quality and cost of care for people having colonoscopies.

The program is part of Cigna Collaborative Care, a value-based model that uses incentives to engage health care professionals and helps drive improved health, affordability and patient experience. Cigna Collaborative Care, which initially focused on large primary care physician groups, has expanded to include hospitals, small primary care practices and specialists, including gastroenterologists.

Under the program, Capital Digestive Care physicians will look at a person’s health holistically across an entire episode of care. This includes care an individual receives before a colonoscopy, the procedure itself, recovery and any follow-up care up to 14 days after the procedure. This approach reduces the likelihood that an individual will have complications after surgery or will need to be readmitted to the hospital – both of which are key targets for measuring quality.

Capital Digestive Care will continue to be paid for the medical services it provides to Cigna customers and will also be eligible to earn a “pay for value” incentive if it meets certain quality and cost targets.

“We’ve seen great results from our Cigna Collaborative Care arrangements with primary care physician groups and are able to apply these successful strategies to specialty care, including gastroenterology,” said Julia Huggins, president, Cigna Mid-Atlantic. “By focusing on the value of care and providing financial incentives to doctors who meet quality and cost targets, we expect an even greater experience for our customers. We look forward to working together with Capital Digestive Care to accomplish this.”

“Our patients have access to a specialized pathology laboratory and the largest clinical research program of its kind in the region, so collaboration is deeply embedded in our approach to delivering the very best in patient care,” said Dr. Arnold Levy, president and CEO of Capital Digestive Care. “We look forward to collaborating with Cigna through this initiative to help transform the health care system and enhance the quality and affordability of care.”

Cigna has episodes-of-care arrangements for other medical specialties, including orthopedics and obstetrics/gynecology, and plans to introduce this type of arrangement for cardiology. There are also Cigna Collaborative Care arrangements for oncology.

About Capital Digestive Care

Capital Digestive Care is a private medical practice of 59 physicians serving more than 70,000 patients across the Washington Metropolitan area. The group’s physicians practice at 16 office locations and are affiliated with 13 hospitals and 8 outpatient endoscopy centers, where more than 30,000 colonoscopies are performed each year. Unified in their desire to advance the delivery of care for patients suffering from all types of digestive health conditions, Capital Digestive Care offers the greatest collective experience in the area along with the most accessible care. For more information, please visit www.capitaldigestivecare.com.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 88 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150803005811/en/

Contacts:

Cigna Corporation
Lauren Moyer, 215.761.3647
lauren.moyert@cigna.com
or
Capital Digestive Care
Cara Reymann, 301-661-3619
cara.reymann@capitaldigestivecare.com

Source: Cigna Corporation and Capital Digestive Care