CIGNA HealthCare's HealthePass Health Care Payment Solution

HealthePass will feature American Express' state-of-the-art "hold-and-settle" process that reserves the patient's payment from their funding source, such as a health savings account or line of credit, and releases the patient payment at the same time the insurance claim is settled.

HealthePass will be made available by CIGNA at no additional cost for providers that accept credit cards. This solution leverages best-of-class capabilities provided by Metavante and Thomson Medstat to streamline all the financial facets of a visit to the doctor's office or a hospital stay. Using HealthePass, both patient and provider will know the patient's estimated costs up front and be able to ensure payment funding so the provider does not have to separately bill the patient. An online demonstration of HealthePass is available at http://www.movingpix.com/preview/cigna/healthepass4.html.

HealthePass has sparked interest in the provider community, including the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) which owns and operates approximately 182 hospitals and 94 freestanding surgery centers in 22 states. Said HCA East Florida Division President, Stephen L. Royal: "CIGNA HealthCare is clearly listening to providers' concerns about reducing administrative costs and alleviating business complexity.

"We are pleased that CIGNA understands provider concerns regarding challenges in collecting member responsibility and is taking positive steps to address them," Royal said. "The fact that HealthePass is being designed so that providers do not have to purchase new equipment or change business processes, and may use the system for a number of different payers, demonstrates that CIGNA is committed to a 21st century solution for the provider community."

According to CIGNA HealthCare President David Cordani, the goal is to remove issues that may become a distraction in the patient/physician relationship: "We are taking a collaborative approach that replicates the ease and simplicity of a typical retail transaction in order to address patient and provider concerns about how services will be paid, so that all parties can focus on what matters most - health and wellness.

"Using the expertise and capabilities of one of America's leading consumer and business financial services firms is an important attribute of the HealthePass solution," he added.

David Bonalle, Vice President of Healthcare at American Express, concurs: "By teaming up with CIGNA, our cutting-edge technology and capabilities will offer consumers and providers the financial assurances they need. Consumers will have flexible financing options and access to available health fund accounts, while providers can now be paid quickly and efficiently, and eliminate the time and expenses associated with patient collections."

How HealthePass will work:

• Patient Obligation Estimator - HealthePass will provide patients and their providers with real-time treatment cost estimates that reflect the patient's specific co-pays, deductible balances, coinsurance, and other factors. The itemized cost estimate is generated by Thomson Medstat's proprietary treatment cost calculation tool and backed by its deep analytic and predictive modeling expertise. Providers can quickly obtain estimates using their method of preference: desktop interface, phone, or fax.
• Flexible Payment Options - Utilizing American Express' payment network and functionality, HealthePass will feature an integrated, "multi- purse" card that will provide consumers with access to available health fund accounts and consumer credit and debt financing.
• Simpler Payment Process - Using the American Express "hold-and-settle" process, HealthePass will deliver the ability for patients to reserve payment from their health funding accounts - right in the doctor's office. HealthePass offers providers financial assurances that those amounts will be paid quickly and efficiently, and will eliminate the time and expense of patient collections. The payment process will be backed by Metavante Healthcare Payment Solution technology.

CIGNA HealthCare plans to launch HealthePass with select employers, members and providers in 2007, with subsequent rollouts across the country.