Cigna Applauds “Milestone for Babies” with March of Dimes Sponsorship

Cigna’s 19th Annual National Sponsorship Bolsters MOD’s 75 Years of Service

-Cigna has contributed $27 million to March of Dimes
-Nearly 70,000 Cigna employees have shared the “healthy babies” mission

BLOOMFIELD, Conn., - Recognizing an important historical milestone for the March of Dimes, Cigna (NYSE: CI) today announced the kick-off of its 19th annual March for Babies Campaign. Since 1995, Cigna has been national sponsor of March of Dimes March for Babies events nationwide.

This is a special year for March of Dimes as it celebrates its 75th anniversary. Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1938 established the organization to fight polio. Today its mission is to help moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies -- a perfect complement to Cigna’s mission to help people improve their health and well-being.

Cigna has been a big part of the March of Dimes success story. Since 1995, its annual March for Babies Campaign has served as a highly visible and effective demonstration of its commitment to helping families everywhere enjoy healthy futures. Over the past 18 years, 69,498 Cigna people have participated in various March for Babies events. Together, Cigna, its people, and the Cigna Foundation have contributed more than $27 million to the March of Dimes.

“One of the most important steps we can take in helping people improve their health and well-being is to give our smallest people the best start we can,” said Dr. Alan Muney, Cigna’s chief medical officer and co-chair of the company’s March of Dimes Campaign. “We’re enormously proud that this long-term partnership of Cigna and its people with the March of Dimes has made a direct, measurable difference in the health of babies.”

“Having babies preterm carries huge financial impact as well as emotional hardship for families,” said Ann Asbaty, chief operating officer of national accounts for Cigna and a campaign co-chair. “According to the March of Dimes, the cost to have a healthy baby from birth to her or his first birthday is $4,551. For a preterm baby, the cost is $49,033. Reducing preterm birth helps reduce this burden on families and employers, who often pay these bills.”

Cigna employees and their friends and families will take part in March for Babies walks in Philadelphia, Hartford, Dallas, Seattle, Pittsburgh, and in other cities and towns throughout the country. The March for Babies is the March of Dimes signature fundraiser - with over 900 walks nationwide. Last year more than 2,600 people walked with Team Cigna and together we raised $1.03 million for March of Dimes.

About Cigna and the Cigna Foundation

The Cigna Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna employees live and work. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

About the March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies®, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.