Namely, Cigna bring new benefits exchange to mid-size companies

NEW YORK, May 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Namely, the modern all-in-one HR, payroll and benefits platform for mid-sized companies, today announced the Namely Exchange in collaboration with global health service company Cigna. The new employee benefits exchange will enable companies to offer their employees a menu of world-class benefits plans in an intuitive online marketplace. The solution builds on the existing relationship between the two brands and will offer more flexibility and choice for Namely clients, allowing businesses to provide a wider array of benefits options that fit the varying needs and preferences of their diverse employee base.

The arrangement between Namely and Cigna will combine pre-defined medical, dental, and other life and health products from Cigna with Namely's technology to simplify the process for mid-sized companies to find and deliver employee benefits in a competitive jobs market. 62% of respondents to a recent survey of U.S. employers anticipate moving their full-time employees to a private exchange in one to two years, with interest greatest in the mid-market. Rather than shopping across carriers and multiple plan designs, Namely's clients will work with an experienced Namely Benefit Consultant to help match off-the-shelf plans to unique employee needs. This is a significant advantage as it saves time for resource-constrained HR departments and provides more access to competitive employee benefits than is typically feasible for companies of their size.

"Working with Namely and Cigna helps us provide our benefits easily and quickly and allows us to offer more competitive benefits packages to our employees," said Gary Giesow, Director, Payroll Operations at Magnetic, an existing Namely and Cigna client. "I look forward to learning more about the new Namely Exchange as we start to consider our 2017 Benefits Strategy."

The Namely Exchange will launch with 12 health insurance plans from Cigna, from which HR admins select up to five plan options to offer their employees. The Namely Exchange will also contain pre-defined plan options for dental, vision, disability and life insurance that employers can offer. Employees will then choose plans within the online marketplace through an intuitive shopping experience. Elections and changes automatically transmit to Cigna, so enrollment is seamless and coverage is always up-to-date, and benefits deductions automatically feed into Namely, so payroll can be processed accurately and easily.

"Namely is a fast-growing and innovative player in the market," said Patty Fontneau, President of Benefit Exchange and Technology Solutions for Cigna. "Speed to market and the ability to offer employers of this size more choice and flexibility are very important. Namely is helping businesses with HR and benefits administration, and is helping their employees choose from quality Cigna plans that are more personalized to their individual or family's needs."

"A typical mid-sized company can have both a 23-year-old engineer living in a one-bedroom apartment and 53-year-old sales executive living in the suburbs with two kids in college," said Rob LaHayne, Vice President, Benefits for Namely. "But both employees will have to pick from the same two healthcare plans. Now, employees will have the choice to pick from a spectrum of plans that make sense to them. Pairing Cigna's creative wellness and funding solutions with Namely's intuitive technology, we are now able to offer our clients a truly competitive employee benefits solution and help them align a private exchange with their overall people operations strategy."

Delivering a leading offering for employers in the mid-market and acting as a broker has long been a focus for Namely, a leading modern HR technology platform for this segment. Namely launched its employee benefits business based on client demand, and more than 50% of the company's new clients chose Namely as their broker in the first quarter of 2016. Namely now insures over 20,000 lives. With new, advantaged benefits products like the Namely Exchange, the company expects its employee benefits business to continue to grow.

About Namely
Namely is the first HR platform that employees actually love to use. Namely is powerful, easy-to-use technology that allows mid-sized companies to handle all of their HR, payroll, benefits, and talent management in one place. Coupled with dedicated support and benefits consulting, every Namely client gets the software and service they need to deliver great HR and a strong, engaged company culture. Namely is used by over 450 clients with over 75,000 employees globally. Headquartered in New York City, the company is funded by Sequoia Capital, Matrix Partners, True Ventures, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Greenspring Associates, Vayner/RSE, Bullpen Capital, and others. For more information, visit www.namely.com and schedule a free personal demo. See today how Namely can help keep your employees engaged and your company growing.

About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 90 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

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