CIGNA HEALTHCARE TO OFFER A NATIONAL, CREDENTIALED PROGRAM OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., (September 26, 2000)--CIGNA HealthCare is launching a national program that will offer participants in all CIGNA HealthCare benefit plans discounts on complementary and alternative health care services through a nationwide network of 15,000 credentialed practitioners, including chiropractors, acupuncturists and massage therapists. The program will also offer discounted on-line purchases of health and wellness products, such as homeopathic remedies, sports nutrition products, books and videos through CIGNA's website, www.cigna.com.

The program, called CIGNA HealthCare Healthy Rewards®, will be available to 14 million participants in CIGNA HealthCare plans in all 50 states (subject to regulatory approvals) and provided as an advantage of plan participation. They will be able to obtain discounts for services simply by presenting their CIGNA HealthCare identification card. Participants will not need referrals from their personal physician to use services, nor will they have to file claims to get the discount. They will make appointments directly with service providers and also pay them directly.

The program will begin rolling out in early October, when CIGNA HealthCare plan participants can begin making discount purchases on-line. Access to network practitioners will begin in several Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states in October, in parts of the Southwest in November and nationwide on Jan. 1, 2001.

"As a national leader in providing access to quality health care, CIGNA HealthCare is proud to offer CIGNA HealthCare Healthy Rewards®," said Gail Marcus, senior vice president of product development for CIGNA HealthCare. "We're pleased to be able to offer this program at no additional cost to employers, as a way for us to enhance their existing benefit plans and meet the growing demand for complementary and alternative health care among their employees," said Marcus. "Employers tell us this service can be a differentiating factor in the current tight job market."

According to a Stanford University study conducted in 1998, an estimated 69 percent of adults have made at least one visit to complementary care practitioners. That number is expected to continue rising as Americans search for additional ways to improve their health and prolong their lives. Last year alone, U.S. consumers spent more than $12.2 billion on complementary health care.

Through the CIGNA HealthCare Healthy Rewards® program, American Specialty Health Networks (ASHN) will give CIGNA HealthCare members access to ASHN's credentialed network of 15,000 chiropractors, acupuncturists and massage therapists nationwide.

"American Specialty Health Networks has effectively applied the tools of quality management to the complementary and alternative health care field," said Victor Villagra, M.D., vice president of medical strategy and health policy at CIGNA HealthCare. "Their record of accreditation from the American Accreditation Healthcare Commission/URAC is evidence of a serious commitment, which is consistent with our own approach to quality."

Via a link with www.cigna.com plan participants will be able to connect with Healthyroads, which will provide:

• Educational Resources: one of the most comprehensive Internet sources of educational information on complementary and alternative health care.
• Health and Wellness Products: over 1,200 discounted health and wellness products.
• Provider Directory: online directory of complementary health care providers across the nation participating in the ASHN network. Members will be able to easily locate providers and get directions to their offices.

"Complementary and alternative health care has become an integral part of many Americans’ personal health care system," said George DeVries, president and CEO, ASHN. "For CIGNA HealthCare to embark on this broad, nationwide program shows leadership and foresight, and we're very pleased to be involved."

Initially, the program will offer discounts for chiropractic services, acupuncture and massage therapy. In addition, participants can obtain discounts on health and wellness products, beginning in early October over the Internet through www.cigna.com or by calling, toll-free, 800 870-3470. The program will continue to expand in 2001 with the addition of other services.

"Our support for this initiative demonstrates our company's commitment to developing new e-commerce capabilities that enhance the healthcare experience for our members," said Mark Boxer, senior vice president of e-commerce for CIGNA HealthCare. "We continue to expand the options for members to access these new services via the web."

Earlier this year, CIGNA HealthCare implemented an arrangement with drugstore.com to provide discounts for on-line purchases of non-prescription health and beauty products to CIGNA HealthCare customers through www.cigna.com. This program will complement CIGNA HealthCare's new product offerings.

"The ability to offer CIGNA HealthCare Healthy Rewards® nationally, across all our product lines at no additional cost, is an added perk for our employer customers, particularly multi-site companies looking for a consistent program for all their employees," Marcus said.

American Specialty Health Networks (ASHN) provides network access programs and managed care programs nationwide to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups and trust funds. Its affiliate, American Specialty Health Plans (ASHP), is the nation's first and largest specialty health plan for chiropractic and acupuncture services, operating in California.

ASHN and ASHP services include utilization management, quality management, member and provider services, claims and credentialing. ASHN and ASHP have received seven full two-year accreditations from the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission /URAC. Based in San Diego, ASHP and ASHN have over 500 employees and cover over 40 million members nationwide through various managed benefit, network access and discount programs.

The CIGNA HealthCare companies, a division of CIGNA Corp. (NYSE:CI) based in Bloomfield, Conn., comprise one of the nation's leading providers of health-benefit programs with products marketed in all 50 states and managed care networks serving 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These companies currently provide medical coverage through managed care and indemnity programs to more than 14 million people.

CIGNA refers to the operating subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation.