CIGNA has signed agreements to establish onsite healthcare clinics on American air bases in Kandahar and Bagram, Afghanistan.
The clinics will provide access to non-military hospitals for routine care to roughly 20,000 CIGNA members currently working in the country.
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”CIGNA is responding to our clients’ concerns and has already taken important first steps to make primary medical care more accessible for those assigned to work in Afghanistan,” said Timothy Blevins, chief network officer for CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits. “We want to ensure that all customers, wherever they live or work, have easy access to high quality, affordable healthcare.”
CIGNA is working with TMH Medical Services and Onsite OHS to establish two healthcare clinics on the Kandahar air base. It's also working with Onsite OHS to open a third clinic in the near future on the Bagram air base.
Civilian contractors have had limited access to military healthcare, which is often reserved for life-threatening or disabling conditions. In many cases, workers are forced to seek routine care outside the country, which disrupts their work.
Through the CIGNA deal, the on-base clinics will provide primary healthcare, urgent care, routine physicals, basic laboratory and radiology services, pharmacy services and dental services. Under the direction of physicians, care is provided by physician assistants and registered nurses who are trained in western medicine and speak English.
"As a major defense contractor, many of our employees are operating in dangerous and dynamic environments supporting our military in the region. The ability to solve for their medical needs while working on military bases is extremely important and an issue we take seriously,” said Dahna Baisley, director of global benefits for Honeywell.
To streamline the payment process, the clinics will bill CIGNA directly for its healthcare services, eliminating the need for members to file claims for reimbursement.
TMH Medical Services is expected to expand to more bases in Afghanistan during the year, while CIGNA is seeking healthcare professionals and hospitals in the region to expand access to healthcare services in the country.