Mayo Clinic to Provide Transplant Services for CIGNA HealthCare Members

Friday, December 19, 2003

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic and the CIGNA LIFESOURCE Transplant Network (NYSE:CI) recently announced an agreement that will enable the 12 million members of CIGNA HealthCare to utilize Mayo Clinic for liver, kidney, kidney/pancreas, pancreas and lung transplant services. Mayo Clinic performs transplants at each of its geographic locations in Rochester, Minn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Scottsdale, Ariz.

"We look forward to serving CIGNA HealthCare members with the expertise and outstanding outcomes of our integrated, comprehensive transplant teams," says Christopher McGregor, M.B., FRCS, director of the Mayo Clinic William J. von Liebig Transplant Center in Rochester. "This arrangement offers patients even greater access to lifesaving transplant services at Mayo Clinic."

The CIGNA LIFESOURCE Transplant Network is one of the largest transplant networks in the country, managing over 5,000 cases a year and contracts with 63 Centers of Excellence throughout the United States. "We are pleased to add Mayo Clinic facilities to our Centers of Excellence network of providers," said Janet Maurer, M.D., M.B.A., medical director for the CIGNA LIFESOURCE Transplant Network. "Mayo Clinic is noted around the world. By adding them to our network, our members can have confidence that they have access to the finest transplant centers in the nation."

CIGNA HealthCare, headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., provides medical benefits through managed care and indemnity health-care plans to approximately 11.8 million people, dental coverage to approximately 12.2 million, behavioral health coverage to approximately 14.3 million and pharmacy benefits to approximately 9.2 million. "CIGNA HealthCare" refers to various operating subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation (NYSE: CI). Products and services are provided by these operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation.

Mayo Clinic, on the leading edge of transplant services and research worldwide, provides comprehensive organ transplant services at its major locations in Rochester, Jacksonville and Scottsdale. The transplant teams at all three sites follow similar policies and procedures and participate in common research protocols. This collaborative effort has helped the Mayo Clinic transplant program consistently deliver above-standard survival rates and advance as a highly rated transplant program, internationally. At each site, clinical practice is closely integrated with advanced education and research programs in transplantation.

Mayo Clinic transplant programs include liver, kidney, pancreas, heart, lung, and blood and bone marrow transplantation. Teams of experts in these areas work together to offer patients the collaborative expertise of physicians and allied health specialists. Visit mayoclinic.org/transplant for more information.

Contact(s):
Cathy Stroebel
Mayo Clinic Communications
507-284-5005 (days)
507-284-2511 (evenings) e-mail: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Lindsay Shearer
CIGNA Healthcare
603-268-7721
lindsay.shearer@cigna.com

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