A Priority
FOR EXPATRIATE EMPLOYEES

The need for comprehensive health benefits designed just for your expatriate employees may be the deciding factor in their decision to accept an international assignment. Benefits programs take on heightened significance, often becoming a priority.
It is more important than ever in today's global economy to demonstrate to all your expatriate employees that your health care benefits package will met their specific needs. Whether you have 3 expats or 3,000, you are sending some of your most valued employees on assignment.
If you have had expatriates for a while, you can appreciate that no matter where you send them, they are not going to find the same claims processing and reimbursement procedures -- or even the same type of care -- as they have at home.
Before potential expatriate employees accept an assignment, you will have to answer their questions and concerns. The answers they receive from you may tip the scales in your favor:
. Will there be quality medical treatment for themselves and their covered dependents, preferably from a Western-trained physician?
. If there is a medical emergency, will they be able to be treated locally in a quality medical facility or if need be, moved quickly and efficiently?
. And perhaps as important as quality care, how do they verify insurance coverage, process claims and pay for treatment received?
We know the importance of health care benefits to today's expatriate work force, because we provide plans designed just for them. We also know from more than 20 years of experience that the benefits to your company are enormous!

The best reason for selecting an international health care benefits plan:
More satisfied, more productive employees.

A World-Class Solution
CIGNA International Employee Benefits is the leader in health care benefits designed specifically for expatriate employees. We have been serving companies large and small for more than 20 years and currently cover more than 35,000 employees and 65,000 dependents worldwide.
We understand the intricacies of worldwide health care delivery and have the resources to stand behind your expatriate employees -- wherever they are in the world. We are the "Expat Experts," consulting with our client companies and designing innovative, custom benefits programs. We offer a wide range of insurance plans: life, medical/vision, dental, long-term disability and short-term business travel.

"BEFORE CIGNA INTERNATIONAL, I HAD ONE EMPLOYEE SPENDING OVER 50% OF HER TIME HANDLING EXPATRIATES' MEDICAL INSURANCE CLAIMS. CIGNA HAS SHOWN A GREAT DEAL OF FLEXIBILITY ACCEPTING CLAM DOCUMENTATION AND PAYING CLAIMS IN A TIMELY FASHION. THEIR TURNAROUND TIME IS MUCH BETTER THAN OUR OLD PLAN FOR EXPATRIATES AND IS USUALLY FASTER THAN OUR U.S.EMPLOYEE PLAN."

Our client companies and their expatriate employees place a high value on the services we provide.
Over the years, we have listened to what client companies say about our services, and our benefits programs reflect their wishes. In an independent research survey* conducted in the spring of 1998, our clients said that CIGNA International's strong suits are value and innovation.

94% of our client companies...
. say they are likely to recommend CIGNA International Employee Benefits to a colleague
. believe we provide high overall value to their company
. say that we are a leader and innovator in international benefits programs for expatriates. And of their covered employees... 90% say that our customer service representatives treat them with courtesy and respect.
This kind of recognition is important, as is the recognition of our peers:
In 1998 CIGNA International Employee Benefits received the Award for Creative Excellence in Benefits from the International of Employee Benefits Plans.

Why Choose an International Benefits Provider
Insurers or national health programs in an expatriate's home country may not be able to facilitate quality health care in the expatriate's country of assignment. Quite simply, this is not their area of expertise, and their focus may not be on serving this relatively small population. In addition, they may not be able to provide satisfactory benefits administration, local provider services and simple procedures to coordinate with other countries' managed care plans, private insurance programs or national health schemes.

*Independent study commissioned by CIGNA International Employee Benefits.
Prepared by Paula Ryan Associates, Boston, MA.

CIGNA International provides client companies a strategic advantage in attracting and retaining expatriate employees. Our Global Health Management Services include comprehensive plan administration and health care delivery:

Plan Administration
With CIGNA operations in 32 countries and covered expatriates in all major regions of the world, we process and pay claims in 100 + currencies, more than any other health benefits administrator. Expatriate employees can reach us toll-free 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We also accept collect calls anytime, day or night, if your employees are in a country that does not have toll-free service. E-mail transmissions are also becoming routine.

IN AZERBAIJAN, A 37-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FELL AND SEVERELY INJURED HER LEG. AFTER AN INFECTION DEVELOPED, SHE TELEPHONED CIGNA INTERNATIONAL FOR A MEDICAL CONSULTATION. THE PHYSICIAN DETERMIND SHE SHOULD BE EVACUATED TO EUROPE, WHERE SHE WAS TREATED IN GENEVA. THE SWISS DOCTOR RECOMMENDED TRAVELING TO THE U.S. FOR FURTHER TREATMENT. CIGNA INTERNATIONAL COORDINATED ALL FLIGHT AND MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS, SO THE PATIENT COULD FOCUS ON HER RECOVERY.

Health Care Delivery
Our international partner in health care delivery has more than 100 full-time physicians on staff and a total of 2,400 employees. Their medical operations throughout the world offer health care services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
When medical care is required in the United States, you may choose to use our International Preferred Care Network. The network is made up of qualified physicians and hospitals providing quality, cost-effective care across the United States. This network includes over 3,000 hospitals and over 397,000 physicians nationally.

Together with our provider partners in this global endeavor, CIGNA International is truly Your Single Source Worldwide.

The #1 Choice of FORTUNE 500 Companies
. More currencies, more claims services
- claims paid in 100 + currencies
- claims accepted in any language
- ten-day turnaround for 90% of claims
- direct check deposit of claim reimbursements
- direct payment to hospitals around the world
- advanced payment of fees to providers (outside the U.S.)
. More than 20 years of experience in international employee benefits
. Employee utilization and reporting available by country
. Full range of medical advice and consultation from routine to complex
. Multicultural experience and sensitivities

The Reasons Expatriate Employees Appreciate Our Benefits
One toll-free or collect call from anywhere in the world for around-the-clock access to:
. Benefits plan information, eligibility verification, benefits adjudication
. Preadmission management
. Worldwide medical monitoring (24-hour hospital inpatient services)
. Case management (inside the U.S.)
. Consultation and referrals to qualified medical and dental professionals and
health care facilities worldwide
. Medically supervised evacuation and repatriation
. Communication of patient condition and treatment plans to family members at home
. Return-to-assignment coordination of treatment plans

Reassurance for Employers
The true cost of not providing international health care benefits may be higher than imagined when you consider:
. Employees on a management track and those with key technical skills become reluctant to take on expatriate duties when they hear from others who were poorly served while on assignment
. Your pool of rising executives and experienced technicians diminishes because without international experience they are not as promotable in certain positions
. Worst-case scenario: a certain percentage of your valued employees decide to leave the company or return early from an unsuccessful assignment.

The real benefit of offering expatriates quality health care coverage and benefits
administration:
. Employees who return with positive experiences encourage other employees,
who can look forward to:
- excellent benefits while on assignment
- job advancement when they return to headquarters
- personal and professional enrichment
. Last but far from least, employees with enhanced multicultural experience and awareness are a valuable asset to your company, now and in the future.

IN POLAND, THE PARENTS OF A 2-1/2-MONTH-OLD BABY WERE TROUBLED BECAUSE THEIR CHILD'S RIGHT EYE WAS SWOLLEN SHUT. WHEN THE LOCAL PHYSICIAN RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE SURGERY, THE PARENTS CALLED CIGNA INTERNATIONAL FOR A CONSULTATION. OUR PHYSICIAN WAS ABLE TO RECOMMEND AN ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION THAT DID NOT REQUIRE SURGERY, AND THE BABY RECOVERED FULLY FROM THE EYE INFECTION.

Benefit Plans that Fit
To assess various international employee benefits, it is paramount that companies you consider are committed to assuring success of your employees' assignments. As important, of course, you must select a company based on its ability to meet your corporate priorities for services worldwide.
Keep in mind that private insurance plans, national health schemes and government-sponsored plans in host countries may not treat your employees the same as they do their own citizens. It is vital for the insurance provider you select to know how to access health care services in all of the countries where you do business. Just ask your employees who have been there!

Experience Makes a World of Difference
CIGNA International offers the widest variety of plan design options of any international insurer, offering medical/vision and dental plans designed for companies of any size. Plus, we provide life insurance, long-term disability coverage and short-term business travel coverage as needed.
As the preeminent international insurer for FORTUNE 500 companies, we are the leading provider of specialized expatriate services--anywhere! Our growth has been outstanding: more than 30% per year for the past several years. Companies--large and small--have realized that a global health partner for expatriate employees is as much a benefit to their company as it is to their employees.
Frequently, CIGNA International Employee Benefits is asked to compare its international plan services to those of typical home country plans currently covering expatriates. We have identified some of the most significant differences. (See Figure 1)
Our client companies have discovered there is a world of difference in benefits plans for expatriates. And they have some very good reasons for making us their provider of choice--satisfied employees.
Discover all the reasons why global companies are choosing CIGNA International to 'accompany' their expatriate employees on assignment. Visit our web site for the location of the CIGNA International marketing office nearest you.

FIGURE 1	CIGNAI nternational	Home Country Carrier
Customer Services
Dedicated customer service center	Yes	No
24-hour/7-day service center	Yes	No
Access to over 140 different languages	Yes	Maybe
Claim forms in English, Spanish, French and Japanese	Yes	No
Reimbursement in local currencies	Yes	No
Direct reimbursement to international Providers (wire transfers to hospitals)	Yes	No
Provide access to any hospital or provider	Yes	No
GLOBAL NETWORKING CAPABILITIES
Toll-free fax and phone Yes No	Yes	No
Information on proper adjudication of claims	Yes	No
CONSULTING WITH HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
Designated service team to streamline administration and claim processing	Yes	No
Include take-over provision for transferring employees	Yes	No
Flexibility in benefits plan design	Yes	No

 

For more information:
Telephone: 1-800-441-2668 (toll free within the United States and Canada)
Telephone: 1-302-479-6617 (outside the United States and Canada; international Collect calls accepted)
Toll-free Fax: AT&T Access Code + 800-243-6998
U.S. Fax: 1-302-479-6650

E-Mail: cieb@cigna.con
Web Address: www.cigna.com/expatriates/

This brochure is intended to provide only a general description of certain types of insurance and is not intended to describe full terms and conditions applicable to any particular insurance policy.
CIGNA International Employee Benefits recommends that a potential purchaser examine, in detail, the Booklet/Certificate to be certain of the precise terms, conditions and coverage provided by any insurance policy offered through this products and services or other products and services are provided only by insurance companies and other subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation.