CIGNA Plans Among Top Commercial Health Plans, According to U.S. News & World Report and National Committee for Quality Assurance.

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. -- Five CIGNA (NYSE:CI) health plans are listed among the highest ranked commercial plans in this year's "America's Best Health Plans," conducted by U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News) and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

In the 2009 rankings, CIGNA HealthCare of New Hampshire earned "Honor Roll" status as one of the top ten plans in the nation. In addition, three CIGNA plans in New England (Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts) and CIGNA HealthCare Mid-Atlantic, which serves customers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., ranked among the top 50 health plans in the country. Eight additional CIGNA plans are ranked among the nation's top 100 commercial plans.

"America's Best Health Plans is a practical tool that helps consumers make informed decisions when choosing a health plan," said NCQA President Margaret E. O'Kane. "It lets consumers know which plans have demonstrated they can deliver the highest levels of care and service."

In addition to the national standings, several CIGNA plans were named as the highest-rated plan in their markets. For the fourth consecutive year, CIGNA HealthCare Mid-Atlantic was the top-ranked plan in the state of Maryland and in the District of Columbia, also achieving this distinction for the second consecutive year in the state of Virginia. CIGNA HealthCare of North Carolina was the top-ranked plan in North Carolina for the third consecutive year, CIGNA HealthCare of St. Louis was the top-ranked plan in Missouri for the third consecutive year, and CIGNA HealthCare of Delaware was the top-ranked plan in Delaware for the second consecutive year.

"We are pleased that this independent ranking reinforces the value that CIGNA plans are delivering to our customers through a focus on quality and service," said Dr. Jeff Kang, chief medical officer for CIGNA. "We continue to work to raise the bar on quality and are committed to measuring and publicly reporting on our progress."

The rankings of HMO and Point of Service plans are based on the voluntary submission of health care quality results as measured through HEDIS[R] (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set); customer service scores based on member surveys through CAHPS[R] (Consumer Assessment of Health Providers and Systems); and scores on NCQA accreditation surveys. Over 280 commercial health plans are listed in the "America's Best Health Plans" rankings. More information on the rankings is available at www.usnews.com

About CIGNA

CIGNA (NYSE:CI), a global health service company, is dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. CIGNA Corporation's operating subsidiaries provide an integrated suite of medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance, to approximately 46 million people throughout the United States and around the world. To learn more about CIGNA, visit www.cigna.com. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to http://newsroom.cigna.com/section_display.cfm?section_id=18