SCHENECTADY, N.Y., and BLOOMFIELD, Conn., September 14 – MVP Health Care/Preferred Care and CIGNA HealthCare have announced a strategic alliance to offer health insurance and self-funded health benefits plans to employers with employees located in New York and other states.

The plans, according to the companies, will focus on high quality care and lower total cost, and will be marketed immediately for effective dates beginning July 1, 2007.

The CIGNA-MVP Health Care/Preferred Care alliance will combine CIGNA HealthCares national provider network of nearly 500,000 providers and 5,000 hospitals and health care facilities with MVP Health Care/Preferred Cares network of more than 19,000 providers and 151 hospitals and health care facilities, the companies explained. They added that the product suite will offer quality of care and medical management, disease management and wellness programs, and member access and customer service.

As a strategic alliance, noted the companies, CIGNA HealthCare and MVP Health Care/Preferred Care will remain separate companies and will continue to compete outside of the alliances offerings.

This alliance means that customers with a presence in upstate New York and other locations across the country will be able to offer all employees high quality, cost-competitive health plans no matter where they are based, said David W. Oliker, MVP Health Care/Preferred Care president and CEO. By adding the reach of a well-respected national health plan, we increase our scope as a major regional plan.