SEATTLE, June 28, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIGNA HealthCare announced today that it has signed contracts with additional Washington healthcare providers: Empire Health System which includes Deaconess Medical Center and Valley Hospital and Medical Center in Spokane, Yakima Regional Medical and Heart Center and Toppenish Community Hospital. The contracts cover all CIGNA HealthCare product lines in Washington. The signing of these contracts furthers CIGNA HealthCare's progress to establish its own provider network in Washington. Ongoing negotiations with physicians and hospital systems throughout the state continue and an expansive network will be in place July 1, 2007. "We are excited about our progress toward building our own provider network in Washington," said Daryl Edmonds, regional vice president for CIGNA HealthCare Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions. "The addition of these hospitals helps us further solidify our provider network, enabling us to offer more flexible products to employers in the state." CIGNA HealthCare is committed to offering its customers and employers a broad network of providers and to working closely with physicians and hospitals as they deliver quality care to members. The company offers an array of decision-support tools that empowers consumers to take charge of their health. Its extensive health advocacy programs include an extensive portfolio of health management programs and services based on clinical guidelines designed to help members follow physician treatment protocols and improve their health and well-being. These include the company's Health Advisor program that features dedicated nurses to support care management and its Well Aware for Better Health(R) disease management program. CIGNA HealthCare, based in Bloomfield, CT, provides medical benefits plans, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, pharmacy benefits and products and services that integrate and analyze information to support consumerism and health advocacy. "CIGNA HealthCare" refers to certain operations of Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, which is an operating subsidiary of CIGNA Corporation. Products and services are provided by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation. DATASOURCE: CIGNA HealthCare CONTACT: Gwyn Dilday of CIGNA HealthCare, +1-818-500-6370, Web site: http://www.cigna.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/165050.html

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