Cigna Brings Together Queen Latifah, Nick Jonas and Ted Danson to Encourage Everyone to Take Control of Both Their Physical and Emotional Health

Business Wire

New influencer campaign urges people to schedule their annual check-up and talk with their health care provider about their total health – body and mind

BLOOMFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Global health service company Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) today unveiled a new initiative championing its whole person approach to health and well-being. The company is bringing together three cultural icons, Queen Latifah, Nick Jonas and Ted Danson, to encourage everyone to schedule their annual check-up and talk openly and honestly with their health care providers about how they are feeling, physically and emotionally.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190103005358/en/

Queen Latifah, Ted Danson and Nick Jonas team up with Cigna to encourage everyone to take control of their physical and emotional health. (Photo: Business Wire)

Filmed in Los Angeles, the campaign takes a public service message approach and features the three influencers taking unique steps to find balance in their hectic personal and professional lives. Using light humor, they each address the impact that widespread and relatable feelings, such as stress and loneliness, can have on overall health and well-being.

“It was important for me to partner with Cigna because they are looking at not just the body, but whole person wellness,” said Queen Latifah. “I’m so grateful for my fans and I want every one of them to be the best versions of themselves they can possibly be. That means being proactive about your health by scheduling an annual well-exam and then making that time with your doctors meaningful by being open and honest about how you’re feeling. It’s a serious topic, so we’re using light humor to get our message across and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have to share and hopefully, take those important actions.”

“Our goal is to help all people – no matter whether they are Cigna customers or not – to be and feel their healthiest in body and mind, and preventive care is the way to achieve that,” added Stephen Cassell, vice president, global branding at Cigna. “Queen Latifah, Nick Jonas and Ted Danson are phenomenal ambassadors for this message. They each have the authenticity, motivation and personal commitment needed to spread our message about total health – body and mind – loud and clear across the world.”

Science shows a strong connection between physical and emotional health. Perceived stress is a risk factor for illnesses like type 2 diabetes¹ and heart disease², and sleep loss can lead to increased risk of developing depression³. Cigna released the findings of a study earlier this year on loneliness, which other research has shown to be as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes per day⁴.

“Historically, physical health issues have been treated separately from our emotional health, however, Cigna has been an early pioneer in advocating for treating the whole person, including the body and mind, as one,” said Douglas Nemecek, M.D., chief medical officer for behavioral health at Cigna. “Getting your annual check-up and being open with your health care provider about what you’re feeling physically and emotionally isn’t just important, it’s a necessary step to living your healthiest life.”

This initiative builds upon Cigna’s preventive care efforts encouraging people everywhere to Go. Know. Take Control^® by going to see their health care provider for an annual check-up, knowing their four health numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index) and taking control of their health. To help bring this to life, Cigna developed a grassroots Health Improvement Tour (HIT) that travels the country visiting local communities to deliver free health screenings. In 2018, HIT visited 139 cities at 237 events and provided more than 14,000 free screenings. In 2019, the tour will continue to make stops around the country helping people better understand their four health numbers.

Since launching Go. Know. Take Control two years ago, Cigna has seen an 18 percent increase in annual check-ups among Cigna customers⁵. With this initiative, Cigna is again calling on everyone to go, know and take control, but to also make the time they spend with their health care provider even more impactful by having an open discussion about both their physical and emotional health.

Annual check-ups can help find issues early and are an opportunity for people to have a conversation with their health care provider about all aspects of their health. Doing so can help prevent serious health conditions and improve overall physical health and emotional well-being⁶.

The initiative featuring Latifah, Jonas and Danson will appear on multiple platforms, including television, digital and social channels. In the social content, the three influencers speak openly about their reasons for partnering with Cigna and discuss the powerful link between the body and mind. The goal is to help people realize the importance of talking to their health care provider about their emotional health, encourage them to make an appointment and then pass the advice on to others.

On December 20, Cigna announced it had successfully completed its combination with Express Scripts Holding Company, bringing together two complementary and industry leading health service companies. The combined company is establishing a blueprint for personalized, whole person health care and providing enhanced predictability and affordability. Cigna with Express Scripts is working to transform health services – reducing costs, while improving the customer experience, care quality and health outcomes.

For more information about the connection between physical and emotional health, visit Cigna.com/takecontrol today.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind for those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates. 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 over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 150 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna^®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com

¹ Cleveland Clinic. (2018, October 12). Stress, Lack of Sleep Can Increase Your Risk of Developing Diabetes. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/stress-lack-sleep-can-increase-risk-developing-diabetes/

² Study unveils how stress may increase risk of heart disease and stroke. (2017, January 11). Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170111183921.htm

³ "Sleep and Mental Health," Harvard Health Publishing, Last Updated: June 2018, https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/sleep-and-mental-health

⁴ Holt-Lunstad J., Smith T.B., Smith M.B. (2015). Testimony before the US Senate Aging Committee. Perspectives on Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352

⁵ Data pulled February 2018: Includes claims paid out by Cigna health plans for adult wellness, child wellness, breast cancer screening, colon cancer screening and flu vaccinations in comparing September 2014 - August 2015 to September 2015 - August 2017. (excludes Medicare Prime and State of Illinois accounts).

⁶ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017, May 31). CDC Prevention Checklist. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/prevention/