At Cigna, we believe that there are four key areas where a health plan can contribute to a business’s growth strategy.

Today’s employers know the importance of encouraging employees to bring their whole selves to work, and workers thrive when their organizations encourage them to live their healthiest lives.

Four years ago, Sondra Workman lost a loved one to suicide. As she grieved, she pledged to do something to help others: to learn and share techniques that can help prevent suicides. Cigna, her employer, gave her paid time off work and funding to amplify her efforts through its Community Ambassadors Fellowship program.

According to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 50% of people in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime. Yet less than half of these individuals will seek the treatment they need.

When employers select health plan networks for their employees, they may look at the pure size of a network and assume the more doctors, hospitals, and clinics that are included, the better. However, size alone does not equal quality. The quality of care a patient receives is critical in managing the total cost of care, which includes medical, pharmacy, and behavioral care costs.