Cigna-HealthSpring Adding Downtown Office Location; Plans to Hire Some 120 New Staff

Cigna-HealthSpring, one of the nation’s leading Medicare Advantage plans focused on delivering care to the senior population, is opening a new office location downtown to accommodate hiring some 120 new staff to support its growing operations in Illinois.

“Our growth in Illinois and our commitment to the state of Illinois to be an active partner for care coordination initiatives that serve the senior population is leading to local job growth as well,” said Sue Podbielski, president and general manager for Cigna in Illinois.

With an office currently located in Rosemont, the company said it selected the second, new location at 175 W. Jackson Blvd. for its accessibility to residents of Chicago and new staff expected to be hired, including its convenience to public transportation. The company expects the opening to be completed by early September. Cigna's operations that serve employer customers in Illinois will remain at the current West Monroe Street location.

“Our affordable plans have been well received by seniors because the plans provide high quality care that benefits people’s health and their budgets. I’m pleased that this business growth is also creating job growth for the local economy,” said Matt Collins, chief operating officer for Cigna-HealthSpring in Illinois. “We’re excited to partner with the state of Illinois in the Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative to provide medical care for those in our community who need it most. Additionally, we look forward to future opportunities with the state and local advocacy groups to better serve the senior population in Illinois.”

Collins added that the new jobs will include both management and entry-level roles in customer service and clinical care and will be posted over the course of the next several months. Individuals who are interested in applying for the new roles should visit the “Careers” section of the Cigna website at www.cigna.com.

In November 2012, Cigna-HealthSpring was awarded a three-year contract with the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide managed care services to dual-eligible beneficiaries in Greater Chicago as part of the Illinois Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative (MMAI). The MMAI program, expected to go live in January 2014, is driving much of the job growth and centers on integrating Medicare and Medicaid benefits and services to create a unified, easy-to-navigate health care system for the dual-eligible population.

About Cigna-HealthSpring

Cigna-HealthSpring is one of the country's leading health plans focused on delivering care to the senior population, predominately through Medicare Advantage and other Medicare and Medicaid products. Cigna-HealthSpring serves millions of customers in locations across the country. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Cigna-HealthSpring operates health plans in Alabama, Arkansas Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. Cigna-HealthSpring also offers a national stand-alone prescription drug plan. For more information, visit www.cignahealthspring.com/.