BLOOMFIELD, Conn., April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cigna
Foundation and New York Life Foundation today launched the Brave of
Heart Fund to provide monetary grants to survivors of front-line
U.S. healthcare workers who give their lives in the fight against
COVID-19.
The Cigna Foundation and the New York Life Foundation are each
making initial contributions of $25
million to seed the Fund. The New York Life Foundation
will also match the first $25 million
of additional individual donations received. Together, the
companies hope to raise more than $100 million to protect
these families from financial hardship and provide behavioral and
emotional support. The Fund will be administered by the nonprofit
E4E Relief, the nation's leading provider of charitable employee
relief funds, and will begin accepting applications in May.
In addition to financial assistance provided by the Cigna
Foundation, Cigna will provide behavioral and emotional health
support to the families to help them cope with feelings associated
with grief, including anxiety, loneliness, and depression. These
offerings are an expansion of Cigna's efforts to support both
front-line healthcare workers and the general public by providing
webinars, articles, and podcasts to help people manage fear and
anxiety, and build resiliency during the ongoing COVID-19
outbreak.
"As we've seen in the past, trying times bring out the best in
us, as individuals and communities. Our nation's healthcare workers
and volunteers are embodying this every day, as they answer the
call of duty with bravery and selflessness," said David M. Cordani, Cigna President and Chief
Executive Officer. "We are proud to partner with New York Life to
support the families of these American heroes who give so much
while treating others. Through the Brave of Heart Fund, we will
bring greater peace of mind to these families, by helping
to relieve the emotional and financial burdens they will face
in the aftermath of this health crisis."
New York Life Chairman and CEO Ted
Mathas stated, "In tough times, true heroes are revealed.
The heroes today are not only the courageous and selfless frontline
healthcare workers and volunteers who, without hesitation and
without question, have put themselves in harm's way to help those
who desperately need it, but also their families who are living
with the anxiety and fear of what may happen to their loved ones in
the days ahead. The Brave of Heart Fund is our way to honor these
heroes by doing what New York Life and Cigna do best – supporting
these individuals and their families with financial and emotional
support and being there when we are needed most."
Families of doctors, nurses, technicians, orderlies, cafeteria
workers, custodians, volunteers, and others working on the
frontlines of healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible
to apply for support from the Brave of Heart Fund.
They may receive grants valued at up to $75,000 per family for medical care and
counseling, housing, food, transportation, education, and other
needs as they manage the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and begin to
move forward.
Given the urgency of the evolving crisis and the significant
impact COVID-19 will have on the mental and emotional health of the
families affected, the Fund is being created on an accelerated
basis and will be ready to accept applications for its first grants
in May 2020. Initial $15,000 grants seek to provide peace of mind by
covering families' immediate expenses based on financial need.
Eligible families also can receive up to an additional $60,000 to aid their recovery based on need.
The Brave of Heart Fund is the latest in a series of steps Cigna
has taken to help protect customers, communities, health care
providers and employees from the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has
already committed to several actions through May 31, 2020. Key activities include:
- Waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 diagnostic testing,
telehealth screenings and treatment.*
- Making it easier for customers to be treated virtually by their
own physicians.
- Making it easier for hospitals to transfer patients to
long-term acute care hospitals and subacute facilities.
- Waiving prior authorizations for emergency department visits
and home health care services.
- Providing free, supportive resources for the general public on
how to manage anxiety, fear and improve resiliency.
- Launching a Mindfulness for Health Care Workers program.
- Donating medications to Washington
University for a clinical trial on COVID-19 treatment.
- Providing Cigna employees with 80 hours of emergency time off
for COVID-19 related needs through 2020.
- Providing additional compensation and additional assistance to
reward Cigna employees who must continue to work onsite, including
Cigna's front-line healthcare professionals.
- Making contributions from the Cigna Foundation to international
and domestic non-profit organizations to support for health care
professionals and provide relief for families and children facing
food insecurities.
Individuals and corporations can donate to the Brave of Heart
Fund by visiting www.braveofheartfund.com. The site also includes
links to a variety of resources for healthcare workers and their
families.
The Fund will be administered through E4E Relief, a subsidiary
of the public charity Foundation For The Carolinas, working in
partnership with New York Life and Cigna. E4E Relief has nearly 20
years of experience in helping compassionate companies respond to
large and small crises, such as natural disasters and family
emergencies, allowing employers to quickly care for their most
important resources – their people. In the past five years,
E4E Relief has received more than $200
million in donations and awarded more than $90 million in charitable grants, supporting
relief efforts for 4 million people worldwide.
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation,
established in 1962, 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.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated to
improving the health, well-being, and peace of mind of those we
serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and
access to quality care through integrated capabilities and
connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health.
All products and services are provided exclusively by or through
operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health
and Life Insurance Company, Cigna Life Insurance Company of
New York, Connecticut General Life
Insurance Company, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates,
and Life Insurance Company of North
America. Such products and services include an integrated
suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral
health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related
products including group life, accident and disability insurance.
Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has more than 170 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®,
including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit
www.cigna.com.
* The treatments that Cigna will cover for
COVID-19 are those covered under Medicare or other applicable state
regulations. The company will reimburse healthcare providers at
Cigna's in-network rates or Medicare rates, as applicable.
These benefits apply to customers in the United States who are covered under
Cigna's employer/union sponsored insured group health plans,
insured plans for US based globally mobile individuals, Medicare
Advantage and Individual and Family Plans (IFP). Cigna will also
administer the waiver to self-insured group health plans and the
company encourages widespread participation, although these plans
will have an opportunity to opt-out of the waiver option.
Media Contact
Ellie
Polack
1 (860) 902-4906
elinor.polack@cigna.com
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SOURCE Cigna