Employees with both CIGNA disability and medical coverage who also suffer a short-term disability are more likely to return to work and spend less time on leave than those without the integrated program, thus saving on the employer's bottom line, according to a new CIGNA study.
"Reining in costs associated with employee absence is an imperative for employers," says Mark Marsters, senior vice president of group operations for CIGNA. "CIGNA's integrated disability and medical programs provide more opportunities to encourage and engage employees to improve their health and reduce disability absence, which benefits the employees as well as their employers."
Integrated program participants were absent 20 percent less than those with only disability coverage. If a day of disability costs an employer $159, a 5,000-employee company covered by CIGNA medical and disability programs could anticipate 2,500 fewer days of disability, for an approximate $397,500 cost and productivity savings.
"Preventing illness or injury doesn't stop once an individual begins a short- or long-term disability absence," says Dr. Jeffrey Kang, M.P.H., CIGNA chief medical officer. "One condition can lead to another. Proper coaching and other steps can help prevent an individual's difficult situation from becoming worse. As the study shows, an integrated medical and disability program creates a more coordinated effort to help individuals return to work and stay healthy and on the job."
Those on short-term disability leave through an integrated program averaged 13 fewer days of disability time than those not on the program, and 11 percent more of participants returned to work, the study found.
Another CIGNA study found chronic care participants on disability miss almost four fewer days than those with chronic conditions not in the program, and active participants show a slightly higher return-to-work rate than the non-active participants as well.
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