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NASHVILLE, Tenn. & BLOOMFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthways (NASDAQ: HWAY) and CIGNA today announced they have reached an agreement on a three-year contract extension, through February of 2013. Under the new agreement, Healthways will continue to provide disease management support for CIGNA's traditional Well Aware for Better Health^® and Smart Steps programs, which currently serve approximately 1.2 million CIGNA members.

For the past 11 years, CIGNA and Healthways have been collaborating to actively design and refine programs to help CIGNA members who have chronic diseases and persistent conditions. Healthways provides such services as dedicated call centers and nurse educators that help members enrolled in CIGNA’s Well Aware and Smart Steps disease management programs to better manage their illnesses, avoid unnecessary hospitalization, and stop or slow the progression of their disease, which reduces costs and helps improve employee performance. CIGNA's collaboration with Healthways supplements a broad array of telephonic and online health coaching programs CIGNA provides for its members. The new agreement also allows each company to continue to develop and provide new models of health management programs independently of one another or in collaboration.

“CIGNA was one of the industry’s first adopters of disease management, and Healthways has been an important contributor to the success of these programs,” said Keith Dixon, Ph.D., president of CIGNA's Health Solutions unit. “Traditional disease management strategies remain an important component in our broader approach to help improve the health, well-being and security of the people we serve.”

In commenting on the contract extension, Healthways President and CEO Ben R. Leedle, Jr. praised CIGNA’s dedication to constant innovation and focus on the member experience. “CIGNA is setting the bar in the healthcare industry when it comes to customer service, customer focus and customer support. We are excited about the work we have done and will continue to do together to change people’s lives for the better. CIGNA has been one of our most valued customers for over a decade, and we look forward to continuing to deliver on the value proposition of improved health, improved productivity, improved member and physician satisfaction and reduced healthcare costs.”

Safe Harbor Provisions

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In order for Healthways to utilize the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, investors are hereby cautioned that these statements may be affected by the important factors, among others, included in the discussion in Part I, Item 1A, and Part II, Item 7, of Healthways’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year end ended August 31, 2007, and Part I, Item 2 of Healthways' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended November 30, 2007. Consequently, actual operations and results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements. Healthways undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements.

About CIGNA HealthCare

CIGNA HealthCare, headquartered in Bloomfield, Conn., provides medical benefits plans, dental coverage, behavioral health coverage, pharmacy benefits and products and services that integrate and analyze information to support consumerism and health advocacy. "CIGNA HealthCare" is a registered service mark of CIGNA Intellectual Property, Inc., licensed for use by CIGNA Corporation (NYSE:CI) and its operating subsidiaries, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. Products and services are provided by such operating subsidiaries and not by CIGNA Corporation.

About Healthways

Healthways is the leading provider of specialized, comprehensive Health and Care Support(SM) solutions to help millions of people maintain or improve their health and, as a result, reduce overall healthcare costs. Healthways' solutions are designed to help healthy individuals stay healthy, mitigate and slow the progression of disease associated with family or lifestyle risk factors and promote the best possible health for those already affected by disease. Our proven, evidence-based programs provide highly specific and personalized interventions for each individual in a population, irrespective of age or health status, and are delivered to consumers by phone, mail, internet and face-to-face interactions, both domestically and internationally. Healthways also provides a national, fully accredited complementary and alternative Health Provider Network, offering convenient access to individuals who seek health services outside of, and in conjunction with, the traditional healthcare system. For more information, please visit www.healthways.com.