CIGNA Group Insurance Celebrates Return to Work Success During National Rehabilitation Awareness Week

  PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- On a routine stop at
the supermarket in November 2006, Leah Freesmeier fell to the ground,
hitting the left side of her head on the cement floor and leaving her with
a severe injury to her brain. The injury left her with language and hearing
impairments, aphasia and right cranial nerve/facial palsy. She doesn't
remember falling, or most of the three weeks she was in the hospital, but
she does remember the rehabilitation she went through that enabled her to
return to her job as a customer support specialist.
   "I was lucky to have CIGNA during this ordeal," said Freesmeier. "Not
only was the company great at assisting me with the overwhelming process of
understanding the various administrative aspects I had to take care of, but
my rehabilitation counselor worked very closely with me to ensure I had the
best care possible to enable me to get back to work, which was my ultimate
goal."
   After intense physical and speech therapy, Freesmeier worked with a
CIGNA vocational rehabilitation counselor and was ready to return to work
six months after her injury. CIGNA's vocational rehabilitation counselors
are educated and skilled in helping individuals with disabilities make
career plans, learn new skills and face their fears. They understand and
anticipate these fears and provide support, education and resources to
overcome them.
   Freesmeier's CIGNA vocational rehabilitation counselor began the
process of helping her plan her return to work. This included assessing
factors that could potentially impact the success of her return-to-work
plan and determining how some challenges could be reduced or avoided
altogether. Additionally, the counselor worked with all of Freesmeier's
treating physicians to facilitate easing her back into the workplace. Based
on their recommendations, the counselor worked with the local state
rehabilitation agency to arrange for Freesmeier to be accompanied by an
onsite coach for the first two months back on the job. The onsite coach
helped Freesmeier with things such as ensuring she was taking appropriate
notes and following processes.
   "Having the onsite coach during my first few months back on the job was
very beneficial for me," says Freesmeier. "It made my transition back into
my routine a lot easier."
   Freesmeier's rehabilitation experience is one of several successes
CIGNA Group Insurance is highlighting next week during a series of employee
and customer gatherings in the company's disability claim offices in
Pittsburgh, Dallas and Glendale, Calif. Through these events, CIGNA will
focus on vocational rehabilitation, celebrated each September as part of
National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, with a mission to educate people
about the benefits and impact of rehabilitation. CIGNA Group Insurance, and
sister company Intracorp, are the national sponsors of this observance,
celebrated from Sept. 16-22, in cooperation with the National
Rehabilitation Awareness Foundation (NRAF) of Scranton, PA.
   CIGNA will be awarding employers, including Toyota, McKesson
Corporation and Henry Ford Health System, with a Return-to-Work Award for
their success in implementing return-to-work programs for their employees.
In addition, claimants, such as Freesmeier, will be visiting the offices to
share their successful return-to-work stories with CIGNA employees.
   "CIGNA works to assist our employer customers, and their disabled
employees, in the shared goal of returning to productive work," said Mark
Marsters, senior vice president, CIGNA Group Insurance. "Many employers are
committed to ensuring return-to-work programs are in place. These efforts
not only contribute to productivity, but they also enable employees to
regain independent living."
   "I never imagined something like this would ever happen to me," says
Freesmeier. "I am fortunate to be alive and I am grateful to have been able
to return to work after my rehabilitation."
   For more information on National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, visit
the NRAF website at http://www.nraf-rehabnet.org/.
   For more information about CIGNA Group Insurance's disability programs
and services, visit http://www.cigna.com/our_plans/disability/index.html.
   About CIGNA Group Insurance
   "CIGNA," the "Tree of Life" logo and "CIGNA Group Insurance" are
registered service marks of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for
use by CIGNA Corporation and its operating subsidiaries. Products and
services are provided by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA
Corporation. Such operating subsidiaries include Life Insurance Company of
North America and CIGNA Life Insurance Company of New York. CIGNA Group
Insurance is one of the top five providers in disability management and
insurance with solutions that focus on helping employees return to a
productive work life as quickly and safely as possible.
   CIGNA Group Insurance is also one of the top five providers of group
term life and group universal life, and the second leading provider of
group accident insurance, including voluntary accident and business travel
accident insurance.