Piedmont Healthcare Selects Cigna’s QualCare Platform to Administer its Employee Health Plan

Business Wire

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Piedmont Healthcare has selected Cigna's (NYSE: CI) QualCare platform to administer its employee health plan. Effective January 1, 2016, Cigna will administer health care benefits for 8,000 Piedmont employees and their family members — 16,000 “covered lives” in all — through its wholly-owned QualCare subsidiary.

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“The goal is to provide the best possible outcomes for our patients and improve the health and well-being of our employees,” said Vicki Cansler, chief human resources officer at Piedmont Healthcare. “We chose the QualCare platform and service model for its proven ability to support and improve employees’ use of health care services available through their medical benefit program.”

QualCare, based in Piscataway, N.J., administers customized hospital employee benefit plans for more than 200,000 customers. It has consistently demonstrated cost savings and improved health outcomes while providing support for innovative and successful population management programs, according to President Sharon Seitzman.

This new arrangement with Piedmont is an example of how Cigna is leveraging the capabilities of the QualCare platform in markets beyond New Jersey.

“We have a 25-year history of effectively managing hospital-sponsored employee health plans,” said Seitzman. “That history, along with our much respected flexible claims processing systems and patient centric care management programs, were central to Cigna's decision to acquire the company earlier this year,” Seitzman said.

“The QualCare platform is ideally suited to Cigna's hospital clients because it helps them effectively manage their population health programs,” said Rich Novack, Cigna's president and general manager in Georgia. “This new arrangement represents the next generation in our history of successful collaboration with Piedmont Healthcare, which continues to deliver high quality care while performing better than the overall market for medical cost increases.”

About Piedmont Healthcare

Piedmont Healthcare is a private, not-for-profit organization that serves nearly two million patients primarily in North Georgia communities but also across the state. The six hospitals include Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, a 529-bed acute-care hospital in Buckhead; Piedmont Fayette Hospital, a 172-bed, acute-care community hospital in Fayetteville; Piedmont Henry Hospital, a 215-bed acute-care community hospital in Stockbridge; Piedmont Mountainside Hospital, a 52-bed community hospital in Jasper; Piedmont Newnan Hospital, a 136-bed, acute-care community hospital in Newnan; and Piedmont Newton Hospital, a 97-bed community hospital in Covington.

Piedmont Healthcare also is the parent company of Piedmont Heart Institute, providing integrated cardiovascular healthcare by more than 100 cardiovascular and other specialty physicians with 23 office locations; the Piedmont Physicians Group, with more than 120 primary care physicians and 70 specialty physicians in 55 offices throughout north Georgia; the Piedmont Clinic, a 1,250-member physician network; and Piedmont Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic entity for private fundraising initiatives. For more information, visit piedmont.org.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. 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 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 89 million customer relationships throughout the world. QualCare, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of QualCare Alliance Networks, Inc. (QANI), which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com. For information about QualCare, visit www.qaniinc.com