Description of Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Description Of Business [Abstract]

Description of Business

Note 1 – Description of Business

Cigna Corporation, together with its subsidiaries (either individually or collectively referred to as “Cigna,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” or “us”) is a global health services organization dedicated to a mission of helping individuals improve their health, well-being and sense of security. To execute on our mission, Cigna's evolved strategy is to “Go Deeper”, “Go Local” and “Go Beyond” with a differentiated set of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and related products and services offered by our subsidiaries. The majority of these products are offered through employers and other groups such as governmental and non-governmental organizations, unions and associations. Cigna also offers commercial health and dental insurance, Medicare and Medicaid products and health, life and accident insurance coverages to individuals in the United States and selected international markets. In addition to these ongoing operations, Cigna also has certain run-off operations.

The financial results of the Company’s businesses are reported in the following segments:

Global Health Care aggregates the Commercial and Government operating segments due to their similar economic characteristics, products and services and regulatory environment:

• The Commercial operating segment (“Commercial segment”) encompasses both the U.S. commercial and certain international health care businesses serving employers and their employees, other groups, and individuals. Products and services includemedical, dental, behavioral health, vision, and prescription drug benefit plans, health advocacy programs and other products and services to insured and self-insured customers.
• The Government operating segment (“Government segment”) offers Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans to seniors. This segment also offers Medicaid plans in selected markets.

Global Supplemental Benefits includes supplemental health, life and accident insurance products offered in selected international markets and in the United States.

Group Disability and Life provides group long-term and short-term disability, group life, accident and specialty insurance products and related services.

Other Operations consist of:

• corporate-owned life insurance (“COLI”);
• run-off reinsurance business that is predominantly comprised of guaranteed minimum death benefit (“GMDB”) and guaranteed minimum income benefit (“GMIB”) business effectively exited through reinsurance with Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska (“Berkshire”) in 2013;

• deferred gains recognized from the 1998 sale of the individual life insurance and annuity business and the 2004 sale of the retirement benefits business; and
• run-off settlement annuity business.

Corporatereflects amounts not allocated to operating segments, including net interest expense (defined as interest on corporate debt less net investment income on investments not supporting segment operations), interest on uncertain tax positions, certain litigation matters, intersegment eliminations, compensation cost for stock options and related excess tax benefits, expense associated with our frozen pension plans and certain overhead and project costs.