CIEB Expands Regional Network to China and Macau

CIEB has expanded its network to a range of doctors, hospitals, and clinics that have met CIEB's quality standards in China and Macau, in addition to the health care facilities already available in Hong Kong.

Expatriates and their dependents covered by CIEB's CIGNALinks^® program in the region (including Hong Kong, China, Macau and Taiwan) can now receive discounts when visiting United Family Hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as a selection of clinics in Macau. CIEB has selected a range of health care facilities to participate in its network to assist that organizations with expatriates located in the area in gaining access to appropriate health care resources. Since it is difficult to find health care facilities in the region that provide a standard of care that CIEB encourages, the CIGNALinks regional program previously provided access to doctors and hospitals only in Hong Kong.

United Family Hospitals are popular among covered expatriates and their dependents in the region for their high quality care standards. Annie Kung, a CIGNALinks Relationship Manager located in Hong Kong, said, 'Specialists come from all over the world to practice at United Family Hospitals, and they are known for their excellent staff, a large percentage of which consists of multilingual, expatriate doctors. CIEB is glad to offer discounts to care at such popular health facilities that provide an international standard of health care in the region.'

United Family Hospitals already experience a high number of transactions with expatriates and their dependents covered by CIEB. The hospitals are full-fledged medical centers that have fully private rooms and include more than 18 specialties that range from oncology to maternity. The Beijing United Family Hospitals and Clinics recently earned accreditation from the Joint Commission International, the worldwide leader in improving the quality of health care.

CIEB continues to see a growth in expatriate population in Macau, where a large proportion of Gross Domestic Product is derived from the city's tourism and gambling industries. Through opening up the CIGNALinks network to several clinics and hospitals within the city, CIEB is providing more options and meeting expectations for the customers it covers in the region.

CIGNA Reports Second Quarter 2009 Results

CIGNA Corporation reported shareholders' net income of $435 million, or $1.58 per share, for the second quarter of 2009 compared with shareholders' net income of $272 million, or $0.96 per share, for the same period last year. Shareholders' net income for the second quarter 2009 included income from the Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefits (GMIB) business of $110 million after-tax, or $0.40 per share primarily related to favorable interest rate movements.  To read the Second Quarter Results, please visit the CIGNA Newsroom.

CIGNA International Case Manager Published in Expat Women

International Case Manager Mary Werner, RN, BS, CCM, PAHM, recently published two articles in the online magazine, Expat Women. The articles offer clinical advice on how to handle pregnancy while away from one's home country. To read the articles, click here.

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