Conference Keynote Speaker, CIGNA Customer Ashley Tew Wilkerson, Shared how Disability Insurance Helped her Family

CIGNA customer Ashley Tew Wilkerson was the keynote speaker for the 5th Annual International Disability Insurance Society (IDIS) Conference in Las Vegas. During her talk, she described her diagnosis of and life with multiple sclerosis, how disability insurance helped pay the bills when she couldn't work, and how she was able to adapt her career through CIGNA's return-to-work services (see also CIGNA Corporation).

"When I began my disability leave, one thing I realized right away was that money would be tight. I was very fortunate to have the disability coverage that is given to all employees at the hospital where I work to cover the bills," said Ashley Tew Wilkerson during her remarks.

"I was out of work for eight months, while my medications were adjusted. Now, I'm back at work in the profession I love, thanks to the great return-to-work program that CIGNA offers," Tew concluded.

Regardless of the economic environment, disability insurance is an important part of an overall financial plan. Disability takes a big toll and presents substantial financial risks in America. According to the National Safety Council, a disabling injury occurs every second and a fatal injury occurs every four minutes.1 Three out of 10 workers entering the work force today will become disabled before retiring,2 and an illness or accident will keep one in five workers out of work for at least a year before the age of 65.3 "As Ashley can attest, disability insurance is important and cushions a person from the financial challenges that can result from the unexpected," said Mark Marsters, senior vice president, CIGNA Group Insurance. "In addition to the financial protections, CIGNA also offers other services that help employees safely return to work."

CIGNA's disability insurance products offer additional services such as CIGNA's Healthy Rewards program and Employee Assistance Program. CIGNA's Healthy Rewards offers a wide range of health products and services at discounts of up to 60 percent. The Employee Assistance Program helps employees manage a wide range of issues, such as child and eldercare, personal and legal problems, or issues related to work or family. For disability customers like Ashley, CIGNA's vocational rehabilitation counselors specialize in coordinating with employers to develop return-to-work plans suited to employees' needs and abilities, when the employee is ready to return to work.

For more about CIGNA's disability insurance products and a video of Ashley's story, visit http://www.cigna.com/diam. For more about IDIS, visit http://www.internationaldisociety.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. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. Such operating subsidiaries include Life Insurance Company of North America, CIGNA Life Insurance Company of New York, and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company.. 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. 1 National Safety Council, Injury Facts, 2008 edition. 2 Social Security Administration, Fact Sheet, January 31, 2007. 3 Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education, November 2005.