BLOOMFIELD, Conn., Oct. 13, 2005 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CIGNA HealthCare today announced that it has agreed with Kmart Pharmacies to co- brand CIGNA's CIGNATURE Rx(SM) Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan and collaborate on co-sponsored educational communications. Under the agreement, Kmart Pharmacies and CIGNA will jointly provide information and education about CIGNATURE Rx Medicare Prescription Drug Plan nationally. The relationship with Kmart is CIGNA's only exclusive co-branding relationship with a national mass merchandiser. NationsHealth currently operates a number of successful disease care programs with Kmart.
"We are pleased to work with Kmart to offer access to our simple, affordable Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans," said Terri Swanson, vice president of CIGNA Senior Care. "Kmart's national reach and well-known brand recognition were important to us in selecting an organization to work with. We look forward to working with Kmart to educate beneficiaries on the new prescription drug benefit and the CIGNATURE Rx plan options." CIGNA will offer three different CIGNATURE Rx Medicare Part D plan options, in alliance with NationsHealth, Inc. Options will include a no- deductible plan and a plan that provides an increased level of coverage for generic drugs through the coverage gap. Each of the options will feature broad access to prescription drugs. Plan participants will be able to obtain their prescriptions at any of the more than 50,000 CIGNATURE Rx participating network pharmacies nationwide, including more than 1,100 Kmart Pharmacies throughout the country.
"A co-branded Medicare Part D prescription plan with CIGNA helps us offer our customers an excellent choice for Medicare Part D coverage," said Mark Doerr, Divisional Vice President, Pharmacy, for Kmart. "We look forward to working together to service our Medicare customers' needs by expanding the quality programs we presently offer with NationsHealth." "This agreement builds upon NationsHealth's and Kmart's successful disease care programs and extends NationsHealth's and CIGNA's combined Part D strengths to Kmart's Medicare customers," said Dr. Glenn M. Parker, chief executive officer of NationsHealth, Inc.
CIGNA will make educational information available to Kmart customers at pharmacy departments in each of Kmart's retail locations. Customers who enroll will be issued a co-branded CIGNA/Kmart prescription drug card allowing prescriptions to be filled at CIGNA network participating pharmacies, including any Kmart Pharmacy in all 50 states.
About Kmart Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ:SHLD), is a mass merchandizing company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Thalia Sodi, Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Martha Stewart Everyday and Route 66. For more information visit the company website at http://www.kmart.com/ or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at http://www.searsholdings.com/.
About CIGNA CIGNA will offer its Medicare Part D plans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in alliance with NationsHealth, Inc. The alliance combines CIGNA's pharmacy product capabilities with NationsHealth's experience in service and distribution to the Medicare population.
CIGNA HealthCare, headquartered in Bloomfield, CT, provides medical benefits plans, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, pharmacy benefits, and products and services that integrate and analyze information to support consumerism and health advocacy. "CIGNA" and "CIGNA HealthCare" refers to various operating subsidiaries of CIGNA Corporation (NYSE:CI). Products and services are provided by these operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation.
About NationsHealth NationsHealth (NASDAQ:NHRXNASDAQ:NHRXWNASDAQ:NHRXU) was founded in 2002 to improve the delivery of healthcare to Medicare and managed care beneficiaries by providing medical products and prescription-related services. NationsHealth will offer a national prescription drug plan under Medicare Part D in a strategic alliance with CIGNA beginning November 15, 2005. NationsHealth currently has over 3 million discount prescription cardholders, accepted at over 50,000 pharmacies nationwide. In addition, NationsHealth provides home delivery of diabetes and ostomy medical products to over 114,000 patients. NationsHealth is also the provider of diabetes supplies for Medicare beneficiaries at over 1,100 Kmart Pharmacies. For more information please visit http://www.nationshealth.com/. DATASOURCE: CIGNA Contact: For CIGNA: Patricia Caballero, +1-201-533-5028; For Kmart: Media Relations, +1-847-286-8371; For NationsHealth, Inc.: Melody Carey, +1-917-322-2571 Web site: http://www.kmart.com/ Web site: http://www.searsholdings.com/ Web site: http://www.nationshealth.com/ Web site: http://www.cigna.com/ Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/165050.html
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