Cigna Acquires FirstAssist Insurance Services, a Leading UK Travel and Protection Insurance Company

<ul><li class="bwlistitemmargb"><org>FirstAssist Insurance Services</org> adds new product line to Cigna’s extensive global portfolio </li><li class="bwlistitemmargb"> With<b> travel up eight percent</b>, <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> sees opportunities in offering customers protection against unexpected medical and other travel-related emergencies </li><li class="bwlistitemmargb"> Deal enhances <org>Cigna International's</org> global footprint, affinity partner relationships and builds upon FirstAssist’s strong product and distribution expertise </li></ul><p><location value="LU/gb.eng.london" idsrc="xmltag.org">LONDON</location>--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Global health services company <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> (NYSE:CI) has agreed to acquire <org>FirstAssist Insurance Services</org> from Barclays Private Equity. FirstAssist is a leading travel and protection insurance company based in the <location value="LC/gb" idsrc="xmltag.org">United Kingdom</location>. The acquisition will add a new product line to <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna's</org> extensive global portfolio, enabling the company to expand its <b>individual business</b> in the <location value="LC/gb" idsrc="xmltag.org">UK</location> and around the world. Pending regulatory approval, the acquisition is expected to close in 2011. </p><p> FirstAssist, with nearly <b>3 million</b> policy holders in the <location value="LC/gb" idsrc="xmltag.org">UK</location>, specializes in providing products and services that protect customers and their families against unexpected events through travel, health, employment and legal-related insurance. With travel in major European and Asian markets up an average of eight percent in 2010, <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> sees an opportunity to expand this business on a worldwide scale. </p><p> The deal combines FirstAssist’s products, services and distribution partners with <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna's</org> world-class direct marketing operations, global medical network, successful affinity business model, and broad array of supplemental health, life and accident products. </p><p> “This acquisition closely aligns with our growth strategy and mission to help the customers we serve improve their health, well-being and sense of security,” said <person>William L. Atwell</person>, president of <org>Cigna International</org>. “We welcome FirstAssist’s <b>480 employees</b> and their strategic business partners to Cigna.” </p><p> “FirstAssist’s strong presence in the <location value="LC/gb" idsrc="xmltag.org">UK</location> complements our position as an industry leader with a broad global network of health care providers and direct marketing expertise in <location value="LR/eur" idsrc="xmltag.org">Europe</location> and across Asia-Pacific,” Atwell added. "FirstAssist and <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> clients and customers will benefit through an expanded range of products from a trusted brand.” </p><p> “FirstAssist has made great strides in the travel insurance sector and will benefit further from <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna's</org> long-term commitment to growth. As part of <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org>, we will now have access to wider distribution, additional product lines and the opportunity to extend our offerings to other <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> markets,” said <person>Martin Totty</person>, managing director of FirstAssist. </p><p><b>About <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org></b></p><p><org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> (NYSE: CI) is a global health service and financial company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna Corporation's</org> operating subsidiaries in <location value="LC/us" idsrc="xmltag.org">the United States</location> provide an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance. <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> maintains sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions and has approximately 66 million customer relationships throughout the world. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries and not by <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna Corporation</org>. Such operating subsidiaries include <org>Life Insurance Company of North America</org>, <org>Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York</org>, and <org value="ACORN:641255031" idsrc="xmltag.org">Connecticut General Life Insurance Company</org>. To learn more about <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org>, visit <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cigna.com%2F&esheet=50008464&lan=en-US&anchor=www.cigna.com&index=1&md5=ce7d4220252dd309a8e83e01b00ffbda">www.cigna.com</a>. To sign up for email alerts or an RSS feed of company news, log on to <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.cigna.com%2Frss&esheet=50008464&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fnewsroom.cigna.com%2Frss&index=2&md5=6bec92a6913c7e3ccff7cdf450d058c5">http://newsroom.cigna.com/rss</a>. Also, follow us on Twitter at <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.twitter.com%2Fcigna&esheet=50008464&lan=en-US&anchor=%40cigna&index=3&md5=c6dec7c9f22bf8c51d6f8b29979cb3f2">@cigna</a>, visit Cigna’s <org value="ACORN:763783057" idsrc="xmltag.org">YouTube</org> channel at <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fcigna&esheet=50008464&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fcigna&index=4&md5=e2797011f8b79913e64c72b5736a2480">http://www.youtube.com/cigna</a> and listen to <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna's</org> podcast series with healthy tips and information at <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cigna.com%2Fpodcasts&esheet=50008464&lan=en-US&anchor=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cigna.com%2Fpodcasts&index=5&md5=426bc182d7f9b48c5c4312ef4a7b49d9">http://www.cigna.com/podcasts</a> or by searching "<org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">CIGNA</org>" in iTunes. </p><p><b>About <org>FirstAssist Insurance Services</org></b></p><p><org>FirstAssist Insurance Services Limited</org> (FISL) is one of the UK’s leading providers of tailored, flexible white-label specialist insurance solutions and has previously been named as one of the <location value="LC/gb" idsrc="xmltag.org">UK's</location> fastest growing companies in the Sunday Times 'Buyout Track 100.’ FISL has five key areas of insurance expertise: travel, protection, budget health, legal protection, and small business, protecting nearly three million policy holders in the <location value="LC/gb" idsrc="xmltag.org">UK</location>. Driven as a specialist business by an entrepreneurial, commercial management team, FISL provides a unique range of products and marketing solutions for banks, insurers, affinity organizations, corporations, intermediaries, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. To learn more about FirstAssist, visit <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firstassistinsurance.co.uk&esheet=50008464&lan=en-US&anchor=www.firstassistinsurance.co.uk&index=6&md5=66ba67b6b9845c86cd6e4a7154e63920">www.firstassistinsurance.co.uk</a>. </p><p><img alt="" src="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=bwnews&sty=20110927005277r1&sid=acqr4&distro=nx" /><span class="bwct31415" /></p><p><org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org> (US)<br /><person>Diana Sousa</person>, +1-860-226-2103<br /><a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a><br />or<br /><person>Fleishman Europe</person><br /><person>Frances Mullaney</person> , +4420.7395.7043<br /><a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a></p><p>Source: <org value="NYSE:CI" idsrc="xmltag.org">Cigna</org></p>