cigna8k.htm
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) March 4, 2009

CIGNA Corporation
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation)
1-08323
(Commission File Number)
06-1059331
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)



Two Liberty Place, 1601 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19192
(Address of principal executive offices)  (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code:

(215) 761-1000


Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[ ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[ ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[ ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 
 
 

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
 
On March 4, 2009 and for the remainder of the week, Company officials expect to participate in telephone calls and meetings with investors and analysts.  During these meetings, Company officials expect to discuss consolidated adjusted income from operations estimates for full year 2009, which remain in the range of $1.08 billion to $1.15 billion, excluding the Guaranteed Minimum Death Benefits book of business also known as Variable Annuity Death Benefits (VADBe).  Company officials also expect to reaffirm the outlook for medical membership for full year 2009, as discussed on the Company’s fourth quarter 2008 earnings conference call.  A transcript of that earnings call is available at http://www.cigna.com/about_us/investor_relations/recent_disclosures.html. 

Consolidated adjusted income from operations is consolidated income from continuing operations excluding realized investment results, special items and results of the Company’s Guaranteed Minimum Income Benefits business, otherwise known as GMIB, which is reported in the Run-off Reinsurance segment.

In the 2009 earnings outlook discussed on the Company’s fourth quarter 2008 earnings conference call, management assumed that VADBe would be approximately break-even for full-year 2009.   In its current full year 2009 outlook, management has excluded the VADBe results due to the significant volatility of and uncertainty in the current equity markets.  As a result of prevailing market conditions, if the first quarter of 2009 had ended at the close of business on March 2, 2009, the Company would have experienced a loss with respect to VADBe of approximately $75 million after-tax.   Actual VADBe results for the first quarter of 2009 may differ (positively or negatively) from this reference point depending upon a number of factors, including the equity market and interest rate levels at March 31, 2009.  Investors are strongly encouraged to review the factors cited in the Cautionary Statement included in this report and the sensitivities discussed in the “Critical Accounting Estimates” section of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 for further details and information.

Information is not available for management (1) to reasonably estimate future realized investment gains (losses) or (2) to reasonably estimate future GMIB business results due in part to interest rate and stock market volatility and other internal and external factors; therefore it is not possible to provide a forward-looking reconciliation of adjusted income from operations to income from continuing operations.  Potential losses related to the GMIB business, as well as investment impairments (both of which are sensitive to equity market and interest rate movements), could adversely impact the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial condition, and could reduce the capital of the Company’s insurance subsidiaries as well as their dividend paying capabilities.

Special items for 2009 may include potential charges associated with CIGNA's continuing cost reduction initiative and the potential recognition of loss in the first half of 2009 related to the close of its treasury rate lock derivative. Other than these items, information is not available for management to identify or reasonably estimate 2009 special items.

The foregoing statements represent management’s current estimate of CIGNA’s consolidated adjusted income from operations (excluding VADBe) and medical membership for full year 2009 as of the date of this report.  Actual results may differ materially depending on a number of factors, and investors are urged to read the Cautionary Statement included in this report for a description of those factors.  Management does not assume any obligation to update these estimates, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

 
 
 


CAUTIONARY STATEMENT FOR PURPOSES OF THE “SAFE HARBOR” PROVISIONS OF THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995

The Company and its representatives may from time to time make written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in press releases, in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in its reports to shareholders and in meetings with analysts and investors.  Forward-looking statements may contain information about financial prospects, economic conditions, trends and other uncertainties.  These forward-looking statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions and on information available to management at the time the statements are or were made.  Forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the information concerning possible or assumed future business strategies, financing plans, competitive position, potential growth opportunities, potential operating performance improvements, trends and, in particular, the Company’s productivity initiatives, litigation and other legal matters, operational improvement in the health care operations, and the outlook for the Company’s full year 2009 results.  Forward-looking statements include all statements that are not historical facts and can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as the words “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “may”, “should” or similar expressions.

You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.  The Company cautions that actual results could differ materially from those that management expects, depending on the outcome of certain factors.  Some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include:

1.
increased medical costs that are higher than anticipated in establishing premium rates in the Company’s health care operations, including increased use and costs of medical services;
2.  
increased medical, administrative, technology or other costs resulting from new legislative and regulatory requirements imposed on the Company’s employee benefits businesses;
3.  
challenges and risks associated with implementing operational improvement initiatives and strategic actions in the ongoing business operations, including those related to: (i) offering products that meet emerging market needs, (ii) strengthening underwriting and pricing effectiveness, (iii) strengthening medical cost and medical membership results, (iv) delivering quality member and provider service using effective technology solutions, (v) lowering administrative costs, and (vi) transitioning to an integrated operating company model, including operating efficiencies related to the transition;
4.  
risks associated with pending and potential state and federal class action lawsuits, disputes regarding reinsurance arrangements, other litigation and regulatory actions challenging the Company’s businesses, government investigations and proceedings, and tax audits;
5.  
heightened competition, particularly price competition, which could reduce product margins and constrain growth in the Company’s businesses, primarily the health care business;
6.  risks associated with the Company’s mail order pharmacy business which, among other things, includes any potential operational deficiencies or service issues as well as loss or suspension of state pharmacy licenses;
7.  
significant changes in interest rates for a sustained period of time;
8.  
downgrades in the financial strength ratings of the Company’s insurance subsidiaries, which could, among other things, adversely affect new sales and retention of current business;
9. limitations on the ability of the Company’s insurance subsidiaries to dividend capital to the parent company as a result of downgrades in the subsidiaries’ financial strength ratings, changes in statutory reserve or capital requirements or other financial constraints;
10.  inability of the program adopted by the Company to substantially reduce equity market risks for reinsurance contracts that guarantee minimum death benefits under certain variable annuities (including possible market difficulties in entering into appropriate futures contracts and in matching such contracts to the underlying equity risk);
11.  adjustments to the reserve assumptions (including lapse, partial surrender, mortality, interest rates and volatility) used in estimating the Company’s liabilities for reinsurance contracts covering guaranteed minimum death benefits under certain variable annuities;
12. adjustments to the assumptions (including annuity election rates and amounts collectible from reinsurers) used in estimating the Company’s assets and liabilities for guaranteed minimum income benefits under certain variable annuities;
13.  significant stock market declines, which could, among other things, result in increased expenses for
  
 
 
 
   
 
guaranteed minimum income benefit contracts, guaranteed minimum death benefit contracts and pension expenses for the Company’s pension plan in future periods as well as the recognition of additional pension obligations;
14.  unfavorable claims experience related to workers’ compensation and personal accident exposures of the run-off reinsurance business, including losses attributable to the inability to recover claims from retrocessionaires;
15.  significant deterioration in economic conditions and significant market volatility, which could have an adverse effect on the Company’s operations,  investments, liquidity and access to capital markets;
16.
significant deterioration in economic conditions and significant market volatility, which could have an adverse effect on the businesses of our customers (including the amount and type of healthcare services provided to their workforce and our customers' ability to pay receivables) and our vendors (including their ability to provide services);
17. 
changes in public policy and in the political environment, which could affect state and federal law, including legislative and regulatory proposals related to health care issues, which could increase cost and affect the market for the Company’s health care products and services; and amendments to income tax laws, which could affect the taxation of employer provided benefits, and pension legislation, which could increase pension cost;
18. 
potential public health epidemics and bio-terrorist activity, which could, among other things, cause the Company’s covered medical and disability expenses, pharmacy costs and mortality experience to rise significantly, and cause operational disruption, depending on the severity of the event and number of individuals affected;
19. 
risks associated with security or interruption of information systems, which could, among other things, cause operational disruption;
20. 
challenges and risks associated with the successful management of the Company’s outsourcing projects or key vendors, including the agreement with IBM for provision of technology infrastructure and related services;
21. 
the ability to successfully integrate and operate the businesses acquired from Great-West by, among other things, renewing insurance and administrative services contracts on competitive terms, retaining and growing membership, realizing revenue, expense and other synergies, successfully leveraging the information technology platform of the acquired businesses, and retaining key personnel; and
22. 
the ability of the Company to execute its growth plans by successfully managing Great-West Healthcare’s outsourcing projects and leveraging the Company's capabilities and those of the business acquired from Great-West to further enhance the combined organization’s network access position, underwriting effectiveness, delivery of quality member and provider service, and increased penetration of its membership base with differentiated product offerings.
    
This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive.  Other sections of the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the “Risk Factors” section and other documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission include both expanded discussion of these factors and additional risk factors and uncertainties that could preclude the Company from realizing the forward-looking statements.  The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.



 
 
 

SIGNATURE


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 
CIGNA CORPORATION
   
     
     
Date:  March 4, 2009
By: /s/ Michael W. Bell
   
 Michael W. Bell
   
 Executive Vice President and
   
 Chief Financial Officer