CIGNA HealthCare and VCU Health System Renew Longstanding Relationship.

New Agreement Extends Additional Seven Years

RICHMOND, Va. -- CIGNA HealthCare and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System announced today that they have entered a seven-year agreement preserving access for CIGNA members to VCU Health System facilities including Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Hospitals, the region's only Level 1 trauma center; the VCU Children's Medical Center; and the VCU Massey Cancer Center, Central Virginia's only NCI designated cancer center. The agreement guarantees in-network treatment options at these facilities, as well as VCU's affiliated clinics or through MCV Physicians, its 600-member physician, faculty group practice, without disruption for CIGNA's members.

"VCU Health System has been a valued and longtime member of our network in Virginia. We are pleased to continue to effectively work together and offer access to high quality hospital services to improve the health, well-being and security of the Richmond community," said Tom Martel, president, CIGNA HealthCare Mid-Atlantic. "We strive to offer our members a comprehensive network solution and keeping VCU Health System in our provider network allows us to achieve that goal."

The VCU Health System comprises nearly 200 specialty areas, including oncology, cardiology, neurosurgery, transplantation, as well as every form of contemporary medical service. In addition, VCU Health System is part of the only academic medical center in central Virginia. As the regional teaching institution, VCU Health System offers access to some of the most advanced state-of-the-art treatments, clinical trials and technologies available.

"We welcome the opportunity to continue to be a health care resource of choice for CIGNA members," said Dr. Sheldon Retchin, VCU Health System CEO and VCU vice president of Health Sciences. "Our shared mission to improve health care in our community can only be strengthened through our renewed strategic partnership."

Retchin added that the partnership comes at an opportune time with the opening this fall of the VCU Health System's leading-edge, Critical Care Hospital that will include the region's only burn unit, a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit and among the most technologically advanced operating rooms in the country.

A full listing of CIGNA network participating hospitals is available at www.cigna.com.

The VCU Health System is part of the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers that stands alone as the most comprehensive academic medical center in Central Virginia. The health system includes the 780-bed MCV Hospitals and outpatient clinics and MCV Physicians -- a 600-physician-faculty group practice. The health system partners with the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University and offers state-of-the-art care in more than 200 specialty areas, many of national and international note, including organ transplantation, head and spinal cord trauma, burn healing and cancer treatment. It provides the region's only Level 1 trauma center, and as a leader in healthcare research, offers patients the opportunity to choose to participate in programs that advance evolving treatment, such as those sponsored by the National Cancer Institute through VCU's Massey Cancer Center, Virginia's first NCI-designated cancer center. For more information, visit http://www.vcuhealth.org.

CIGNA HealthCare, based 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" and the "Tree of Life" logo are registered service marks of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by CIGNA Corporation (NYSE:CI) and its operating subsidiaries, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries, and not by CIGNA Corporation. For more information, visit www.cigna.com.