Cigna HealthCare Tops Florida Health Insurance Plans in National Performance Standards

Strategic Insights -

Cigna HealthCare, a prominent health insurance provider in Florida, has emerged as the highest-performing plan among the state's largest health insurers, according to a recent survey conducted by the Florida Health Care Coalition (FHCC). The coalition, which comprises major employers such as Florida Power & Light Co., Publix Super Markets, and the Broward and Palm Beach County governments, aimed to evaluate and compare health plans against national performance standards. This evaluation is the first of its kind to be made public in Florida, shedding light on the performance of various health insurance providers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Cigna HealthCare scored the highest among the state's largest health insurance plans with a score of 79, obtained from the eValue8 tool developed by the National Business Coalition on Health.
  • Aetna, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida, UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Vista Health Plans received scores of 76, 69, 61, 59, and 22, respectively.
  • Cigna HealthCare excelled in three categories: prevention and health promotion, behavioral health screenings and management, and consumer engagement and support.
  • UnitedHealthcare scored highest in pharmacy management, an area of particular interest to seniors in South Florida.
  • Vista Health Plans, owned by physician-entrepreneur Dr. Steven Scott, showed improvement in certain areas but did not lead in any category.
  • Becky Cherney, FHCC's executive director, emphasized the importance of evaluating health plans to drive improvement, stating, "If we can rate our schools, surely we can rate our health plans."
  • The Florida Health Care Coalition's report will be shared with 128 public and private employers, impacting 2 million workers and their dependents, and is also available on the coalition's website.

Statistics:

  • The eValue8 tool examines policies in six areas: medical management, pharmacy management, provider management, doctor and hospital services, consumer health and wellness, and information technology.
  • 95 was the highest score achieved by another insurer in the country using the eValue8 tool.
  • The average score obtained by health insurance providers in the survey was 55.

Sources:

  • "Cigna tops state health insurance plans, report says", South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Glenn Singer, September 20, 2006.
  • "www.flhcc.com", Florida Health Care Coalition, accessed September 20, 2006.
  • "National Business Coalition on Health", National Business Coalition on Health website, accessed September 20, 2006.
  • "http://www.misfit.com", McClatchy-Tribune Business News, accessed September 20, 2006.