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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

þ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014
OR
o TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from                           to                          

Commission file number 1-8323

CIGNA CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2014 was approximately $24.3 billion.

As of January 31, 2015, 258,442,718 shares of the registrant's Common Stock were outstanding.

Part III of this Form 10-K incorporates by reference information from the registrant's definitive proxy statement related to the 2015 annual meeting of shareholders.

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This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on Cigna's current expectations and projections about future trends, events and uncertainties. These statements are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements concerning our business strategy, strategic or operational initiatives, including our ability to deliver improved health services outcomes and productivity for our customers and clients while lowering the costs of health care; future growth and expansion; future financial or operating performance; economic, regulatory or competitive environments; and our projected cash position, future pension funding and financing or capital deployment plans. You may identify forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "believe," "expect," "plan," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "may," "should," "will" or other words or expressions of similar meaning, although not all forward-looking statements contain such terms.

Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: our ability to achieve our financial, strategic and operational plans or initiatives; our ability to predict and manage medical costs and price effectively and develop and maintain good relationships with physicians, hospitals and other health care providers; our ability to identify potential strategic acquisitions or transactions or realize the expected benefits of such strategic transactions; the substantial level of government regulation over our business and the potential effects of new laws or regulations or changes in existing laws or regulations; the outcome of litigation, regulatory audits, investigations and actions and/or guaranty fund assessments; uncertainties surrounding participation in government-sponsored programs such as Medicare; and unfavorable industry, economic or political conditions, as well as more specific risks and uncertainties discussed in Part I, Item 1A — Risk Factors and Part II, Item 7 — Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this Form 10-K and as described from time to time in our future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made, are not guarantees of future performance or results, and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict or quantify. Cigna undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

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PART I
ITEM 1. 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 strategy is to "Go Deep", "Go Global" and "Go Individual" with a differentiated set of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and related products and services offered by our subsidiaries. We:

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GO DEEP by targeting key segments and geographies;

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GO GLOBAL with solutions that leverage our capabilities in a borderless environment; and

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GO INDIVIDUAL to better understand and satisfy the holistic needs of each person we serve.

In an increasingly retail oriented marketplace, we deliver affordable and personalized products and services to customers through employer-based, government-sponsored and individual coverage arrangements. We increasingly collaborate with health care providers to transition from volume-based fee for service arrangements toward a more value-based system designed to increase quality of care, lower costs and improve health outcomes. We operate a customer-centric organization enabled by keen insights regarding customer needs, localized decision-making and talented professionals committed to bringing our "Together All the Way" brand promise to life.

As of December 31, 2014, our consolidated shareholders' equity was $10.8 billion, assets were $55.9 billion and we reported revenues of $34.9 billion for 2014. Our revenues are derived principally from premiums on insured products, fees from self-insured products and services, mail-order pharmacy sales and investment income.

As explained in Note 22 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, effective with the first quarter of 2014, we began combining the results of our run-off reinsurance business with other immaterial operating segments in Other Operations for segment reporting purposes. Prior year segment information has been conformed to the current year presentation.

We present the financial results of our businesses in the following three reportable segments:

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    1

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PART I
ITEM 1. Business

We present the remainder of our segment results in Other Operations, consisting of the corporate-owned life insurance business ("COLI"), run-off reinsurance and settlement annuity businesses and deferred gains associated with the sales of the individual life insurance and annuity and retirement benefits businesses.

Over the past three years, we have entered into a number of transactions that are helping us to achieve our strategic goals by: (1) repositioning the portfolio for growth in targeted geographies, product lines, buying segments and distribution channels; (2) improving our strategic and financial flexibility; and (3) pursuing additional opportunities in high growth markets with particular focus on individuals. Specifically:

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In June 2013, we entered into a ten-year pharmacy benefit management services agreement with Catamaran Corporation ("Catamaran"). Under this agreement, we utilize Catamaran's technology and service platforms, retail network contracting and claims processing services.

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In February 2013, we effectively exited our Run-off guaranteed minimum death benefit ("GMDB" also known as "VADBe") and guaranteed minimum income benefit ("GMIB") reinsurance businesses by entering into an agreement with Berkshire Hathaway Life Insurance Company of Nebraska ("Berkshire") to reinsure 100% of our future exposures for these businesses, net of retrocessional arrangements in place as of February 4, 2013, up to a specified limit.

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In 2012, we entered into three strategically significant transactions targeting several key markets: seniors, individual and global supplemental benefits:

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We acquired HealthSpring, a Medicare Advantage provider, to assist us in serving individuals across their life stages and deepen our presence in a number of geographic markets. This acquisition brought us industry-leading physician partnership capabilities, deepened our existing client and customer relationships, and facilitated a broader deployment of our range of health and wellness capabilities and product offerings.

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We acquired Great American Supplemental Benefits to both strengthen our capabilities in the individual market and facilitate our expansion into the Medicare supplement business.

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We entered into a joint venture with Finansbank to expand our global footprint in Turkey.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (collectively referred to throughout this Form 10-K as "Health Care Reform" or "PPACA") continues to have a significant impact on our business operations. The effects of Health Care Reform are discussed throughout this Form 10-K where appropriate, including in the Global Health Care business description, Regulation, Risk Factors, Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

The financial information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 ("Form 10-K") is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), unless otherwise indicated. Industry rankings and percentages set forth herein are for the year ended December 31, 2014 unless otherwise indicated. In addition, statements set forth in this document concerning our rank or position in an industry or particular line of business have been developed internally, based on publicly available information, unless otherwise noted.

Cigna Corporation was incorporated in Delaware in 1981. Our annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other filings, and any amendments to these filings, are made available free of charge on our website (http://www.cigna.com, under the "Investors – Quarterly Reports and SEC Filings" captions) as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file these materials with, or furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). We use our website as a channel of distribution for material company information. Important information, including news releases, analyst presentations and financial information regarding Cigna is routinely posted on and accessible at www.cigna.com. See "Code of Ethics and Other Corporate Governance Disclosures" in Part III, Item 10 beginning on page 117 of this Form 10-K for additional available information.

The Global Health Care segment constitutes approximately 80% of our revenues and aggregates the Commercial and Government operating segments due to their similar economic characteristics, products and services and regulatory environment. We seek to differentiate ourselves through deep customer insights, resulting in personalized solutions and service, and high quality physician partnerships to optimize quality and affordability of care for our customers and clients. We expect to accomplish these goals, in part, by targeting selected geographies and market segments and by accelerating our engagement with employers and individuals. The health care delivery system is moving away from a volume-based reimbursement system to a value orientation. We are actively driving this "volume-to-value" transition through our continued partnership with preferred health care professionals and our internal investment in people, process and technology.

​ 2    CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K

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PART I
ITEM 1. Business

Our Commercial operating segment encompasses both our U.S. commercial and certain international health care businesses serving employers and their employees, including globally mobile individuals, and other groups (e.g., governmental and non-governmental organizations, unions and associations). In addition, our U.S. commercial health care business also serves individuals through our product offerings both on and off the public health insurance exchanges. Through this segment, we offer our insured and self-insured customers medical, dental, behavioral health, vision, and prescription drug benefit plans, health advocacy programs and other products and services that may be integrated as part of a comprehensive global health care benefit program. Our Government operating segment offers Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D and Medicaid plans.

Commercial Medical Health Plans – U.S. and International

The Commercial operating segment, either directly or through its partners, offers some or all of its products in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. We offer a variety of medical plans including:

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Managed Care Plans including Network, Network Open Access and Open Access Plus.  We offer a product line of Health Maintenance Organization ("HMO") and indemnity managed care benefit plans that use meaningful cost-sharing incentives to encourage the use of "in-network" versus "out-of-network" health care providers and provide the option to select a primary care physician. The national provider network for Managed Care Plans is somewhat smaller than the national network used with the preferred provider ("PPO") plan product line. Generally, customers may use non-participating health care professionals, but the customers' cost-sharing obligation is usually greater for out-of-network care.

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PPO Plans.  Our PPO product line features a network with broader provider access than the Managed Care Plans. The preferred provider product line may be at a higher medical cost than our Managed Care Plans.

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Choice Fund® Suite of Consumer-Driven Products.  Our medical plans are often integrated with the Cigna Choice Fund suite of products, including Health Reimbursement Accounts ("HRA"), Health Savings Accounts ("HSA") and Flexible Spending Accounts ("FSA") that are designed to encourage customers to play an active role in understanding and managing their health and associated expenses. Customers can use these accounts to finance eligible health care expenses and other approved services. In most cases, these products are combined with a high deductible medical plan. We continue to experience strong growth in these products and they represent a rapidly growing percentage of our overall medical customer base.

Approximately 90% of our commercial medical customers are in funding arrangements where lower medical costs directly benefit our corporate clients and employees who share in the cost of their coverage. The funding arrangements available for our commercial medical and dental health plans are as follows:

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    3

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PART I
ITEM 1. Business

We offer stop loss insurance coverage for ASO plans that provides reimbursement for claims in excess of a predetermined amount for individuals ("specific"), the entire group ("aggregate"), or both. Our experience rated group medical insurance policies include funding options similar to stop loss coverage.

In most states, individual and group insurance premium rates must be approved by the applicable state regulatory agency (typically department of insurance) and state laws may restrict or limit the use of rating methods. Premium rates for groups and individuals are subject to state review for reasonableness. In addition, Health Care Reform subjects individual and small group policy rate increases above an identified threshold to review by the United States Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") and requires payment of premium refunds on individual and group medical insurance products if minimum medical loss ratio ("MLR") requirements are not met. In our individual business, premiums may also be adjusted as a result of the government risk mitigation programs. The MLR represents the percentage of premiums used to pay medical claims and expenses for activities that improve the quality of care. See the "Regulation" section of this Form 10-K for additional information on the commercial MLR requirements and the risk mitigation programs of Health Care Reform.

Government Health Plans

Medicare Advantage

We offer Medicare Advantage plans in 16 states and the District of Columbia through our Cigna-HealthSpring brand. Under a Medicare Advantage plan, Medicare-eligible beneficiaries may receive health care benefits, including prescription drugs, through a managed care health plan such as our coordinated care plans. A significant portion of our Medicare Advantage customers receive medical care from our innovative plan models that focus on developing highly engaged physician networks, aligning payment incentives to improved health outcomes, and using timely and transparent data sharing. We are focused on continuing to expand these models in the future.

We receive revenue from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") for each plan customer based on customer demographic data and actual customer health risk factors compared to the broader Medicare population. We also may earn additional revenue from CMS related to quality performance measures (known as "Medicare Stars"). Additional premiums may be received from customers, representing the difference between CMS subsidy payments and the revenue determined as part of our annual Medicare Advantage bid submissions. Beginning in 2014, Health Care Reform requires Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans to meet a minimum MLR of 85%. If the MLR for a CMS contract is less than 85%, we are required to pay a rebate to CMS and could be subject to additional sanctions if the MLR continues to be less than 85% for successive years.

Medicare Part D

Our Medicare Part D prescription drug program provides a number of plan options, as well as service and information support to Medicare and Medicaid eligible customers. Our plans are available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and offer the savings of Medicare combined with the flexibility to provide enhanced benefits and a drug list tailored to individuals' specific needs. Retirees benefit from broad network access and value-added services intended to help keep them well and save them money.

Medicaid

We offer Medicaid coverage to low income individuals in selected markets in Texas and Illinois. Our Medicaid customers benefit from many of the coordinated care aspects of our Medicare Advantage programs. We expect to further expand our Medicaid operations during 2015 under existing contracts.

Specialty Products

Our specialty products and services described below are designed to improve the quality of and lower the cost of medical services and help customers achieve better health outcomes. The vast majority of these products can be sold on a standalone basis, but we believe they are most effective when integrated with a Cigna-administered health plan. Our specialty products are focused in the areas of medical, behavioral, pharmacy management, dental and vision.

Medical Specialty

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Cost-Containment Service.  We administer cost-containment programs on behalf of our clients and customers for health care services and supplies that are covered under health benefit plans. These programs may involve vendors who perform activities designed to control health costs by reducing out-of-network utilization, including educating customers regarding the availability of lower cost, in-network services, reviewing provider bills, and recovering overpayments from other payers or health care providers. We charge fees for providing or arranging for these services.



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Health Advocacy.  We offer a wide array of medical management, disease management, and other health advocacy services to employers and other plan sponsors to help individuals improve their health, well-being and sense of security. These services are offered to customers covered under plans that we administer, as well as plans insured or administered by competing insurers or third-party administrators. Our health advocacy programs and services include early intervention in the treatment of chronic conditions. We also offer online tools and software to help customers manage their health and an array of health coaching programs designed to address lifestyle management issues such as stress, weight, and tobacco cessation.

Behavioral Health

We arrange for behavioral health care services for customers through our network of approximately 89,000 participating behavioral health care professionals and 11,400 facilities and clinics. We offer behavioral health care case management services, employee assistance programs ("EAP"), and work/life programs to employers, government entities and other groups sponsoring health benefit plans. We focus on integrating our programs and services with medical, pharmacy and disability programs to facilitate customized, holistic care.

​ 4    CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K

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PART I
ITEM 1. Business

Pharmacy Management

We offer prescription drug plans to our commercial and government (Medicare/Medicaid) customers both in conjunction with our medical products and on a stand-alone basis. With a network of over 74,000 pharmacies, Cigna Pharmacy Management is a comprehensive pharmacy benefits manager ("PBM") offering clinical integration programs and specialty pharmacy solutions. We also offer high quality, efficient, and cost-effective mail order, telephone and on-line pharmaceutical fulfillment services through our home delivery operation.

Our medical and pharmacy coverage can meet the needs of customers with complex medical conditions requiring specialty pharmaceuticals. These types of medications are covered under both pharmacy and medical benefits and can be expensive, often requiring associated lab work and administration by a health care professional. Therefore, coordination is critical in improving affordability and outcomes. Clients with Cigna-administered medical and pharmacy coverage benefit from continuity of care, integrated reporting, and aggressive unit cost discounts on all specialty drugs.

Dental

We offer a variety of dental care products including dental health maintenance organization plans ("Dental HMO") in 37 states, dental preferred provider organization ("Dental PPO") plans in 48 states and the District of Columbia, exclusive dental provider organization plans, traditional dental indemnity plans and a dental discount program. Employers and other groups can purchase our products as stand-alone products or integrated with medical products. Additionally, individual customers can purchase Dental PPO plans in conjunction with individual medical policies.

As of December 31, 2014, our dental customers totaled approximately 12.9 million, most of whom are in self-insured plans. Our customers access care from one of the largest Dental PPO networks and Dental HMO networks in the U.S., with approximately 134,000 Dental PPO health care professionals and 20,000 Dental HMO health care professionals.

Vision

Cigna Vision offers flexible, cost-effective PPO coverage that includes a range of both in and out-of-network benefits for routine vision services offered in conjunction with our medical and dental product offerings. Our national vision care network, consisting of approximately 69,700 health care providers in over 24,800 locations, includes private practice ophthalmologist and optometrist offices, as well as retail eye care centers.

For U.S.-based customers, we operate 18 service centers that together processed approximately 158 million medical claims in 2014. As of December 31, 2014, we operated 15 call centers, and provide service to customers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

In our international health care business, we have a service model dedicated to the unique needs of our 1.3 million customers around the world. We service them from 8 service centers that are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Technology continues to play a significant role in the execution of our Go Deep, Go Global, Go Individual strategy. Our information technology (IT) investments and priorities are focused on building a retail-centric IT infrastructure and developing innovative business capabilities that support affordable health solutions and create a personalized customer experience. We continue to leverage technology, information and analytics globally to engage our customers in more meaningful, relevant and customized methods, guided by their needs, preferences, likes and interests. Our investments in digital, mobile, gamification, social media and big data enable us to create solutions that improve health and wellness. With increased engagement across the health care ecosystem, we believe that technology can significantly upgrade the customer experience and improve care delivery through collaboration with delivery systems, enabling the transition from a volume based fee-for-service system to a value based health care marketplace. While focusing on innovation, we will remain focused on the delivery of strong foundational IT capabilities including optimization and resilience of the core infrastructure; building appropriate business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities; and developing layered information protection and strengthened cybersecurity solutions. We will also continue to seek opportunities to expand the role technology plays in delivering value to our customers and partners.

Our commitment to promoting quality medical care to the people we serve is reflected in a variety of activities.

Health Improvement through Delivery System
    Engagement

Cigna is committed to developing innovative solutions that span the delivery system. We are focused on executing our connected care strategy that engages providers and customers to achieve affordability and access at the local market level. We continue to increase our engagement with physicians and hospitals by rapidly developing the types of arrangements discussed below. More than one million medical customers are currently serviced by more than 48,000 health care providers in these types of arrangements.

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Collaborative Accountable Care Organizations ("CACs").  We increasingly collaborate with physicians and other health care professionals and facilities to improve the quality of care and patient satisfaction while lowering medical costs, resulting in improved overall value. This collaboration is illustrated by our 114 CAC arrangements, spanning 28 states and reaching 1.2 million customers and by our commitment to continue increasing the number of CACs over the next several years. Our goal is to reach 135 of these programs in 2015.

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    5

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PART I
ITEM 1. Business

We continue to grow Cigna's National Hospital Quality Incentive Program with compensation to 195 hospitals tied to quality metrics and we expect to add an additional 100 hospitals over the next two years. Additionally, we continue to develop our arrangements with specialists through innovative programs such as National Ob/Gyn and our episode-of-care program focused on deliveries along with hip and knee replacements.

Our Patient Care Collaboration program will put the small physician practice first by providing them with key actionable patient information to improve outcomes in a way that fits their practice needs. The program is newly developed and we anticipate piloting with select physicians in a few markets in 2015.

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Delivery System Alliances.  We are now forming alliances with hospitals and hospital systems that will provide access to quality, value-based care in local communities.

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Independent Practice Associations – Cigna-HealthSpring.  With the innovative physician engagement models in our Cigna-HealthSpring business, we utilize a variety of business arrangements that shift the physician's reimbursement from the traditional fee-for-service model to one that is focused on rewarding quality medical outcomes and an enhanced patient experience at a lower cost. In these arrangements, the physician groups share financial outcomes with us. The Cigna-HealthSpring clinical model also includes outreach to new and at-risk patients to ensure they are accessing their primary care physician.

Participating Provider Network

We provide our customers with an extensive network of participating health care professionals, hospitals, and other facilities, pharmacies and providers of health care services and supplies. In most instances, we contract with them directly; however, in some instances, we contract with third parties for access to their provider networks and care management services. In addition, we have entered into strategic alliances with several regional managed care organizations (e.g., Tufts Health Plan, HealthPartners, Inc., Health Alliance Plan, and MVP Health Plan) to gain access to their provider networks and discounts.

We credential physicians, hospitals and other health care professionals in our participating provider networks using quality criteria that meet or exceed the standards of external accreditation or state regulatory agencies, or both. Typically, most health care professionals are re-credentialed every three years.

The Cigna Care Network, a benefit design option available in 70 service areas across the U.S., is a subset of participating specialist physicians so designated based on specific clinical quality and cost-efficiency criteria. Customers pay reduced co-payments or co-insurance when they receive care from a specialist designated as a Cigna Care Network physician. Participating specialists are evaluated regularly for the Cigna Care Network designation.

LocalPlus® is a select network of local, quality doctors and hospitals designed to offer clients greater affordability, by limiting the network to a subset of quality, cost-efficient physicians and hospitals. We currently offer LocalPlus in 12 markets and will expand this approach in additional markets in 2015.

Onsite Medical Care

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Cigna Medical Group is a multi-specialty medical group practice that delivers primary care and certain specialty care services through 23 medical facilities and approximately 150 employed clinicians in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. All of the these health care centers have received accreditation as a Patient Centered Medical Home from the National Committee for Quality Assurance ("NCQA") a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. Cigna Medical Group holds the highest level of this accreditation (level 3). Cigna Medical Group has the greatest number of practices and physicians in the state of Arizona with this accreditation.

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Cigna Onsite Health.  Our onsite services include more than 150 health centers at various employer sites that offer health coaching, wellness seminars and biometric screenings.

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LivingWell Health Centers.  Our Medicare Advantage customers may receive care from a team of physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists. We operate seven free-standing clinics and six "embedded" clinics that incorporate the principles and resources of stand-alone clinics while allowing the customer to continue local office visits to his or her primary care physician.

External Validation

We continue to demonstrate our commitment to quality and have a broad scope of quality programs validated through nationally recognized external accreditation organizations. We retained Health Plan accreditation from the NCQA in 36 of our markets. Additional NCQA recognitions include Full Accreditation for Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organization for Cigna Behavioral Health, accreditation with Performance Reporting for Wellness & Health Promotion, accreditation for our wellness programs and Physician & Hospital Quality Certification for our provider transparency program. We have Full Accreditation for Health Utilization Management, Case Management and Pharmacy Benefit Management from URAC, an independent, nonprofit health care accrediting organization dedicated to promoting health care quality through accreditation, certification and commendation.

We participate in the NCQA's Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set ("HEDIS®") Quality Compass Report, whose Effectiveness of Care measures are a standard set of metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of managed care clinical programs. Our national results compare favorably to industry averages.

​ 6    CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K

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PART I
ITEM 1. Business

We offer health care and related products and services in the following customer segments or markets:

Cigna Guided Solutions^SM, is our proprietary retail health insurance exchange targeting clients that value fully integrated solutions, and focusing on engaging employees in their health and their health spending. It leverages Cigna's ability to provide a fully integrated solution with our broad spectrum of plans and services, and broad suite of funding options, focused on improving total cost, health, and improved productivity. Together with integrated robust decision-support tools, employees will be able to make appropriate trade-off decisions and select plans that best fit them and their families.

In addition, Cigna participates on many third party private exchanges. We actively evaluate private exchange participation opportunities as they emerge in the market, and target our participation to those models that best align with our mission and value proposition. To date, we have committed to participate with numerous private exchanges for both active employees and retirees.

We employ sales representatives to distribute our products and services through insurance brokers and insurance consultants or directly to employers, unions and other groups or individuals. We also employ representatives to sell utilization review services, behavioral health care and pharmacy management, and employee assistance services directly to insurance companies, HMOs, third party administrators and employer groups. As of December 31, 2014, our field sales force consisted of over 1,250 sales representatives in more than 132 field locations. In our Cigna-HealthSpring business, Medicare Advantage enrollment is generally a decision made individually by the customer, and accordingly, sales agents and representatives focus their efforts on in-person contacts with potential enrollees, as well as telephonic and group selling venues.

Our business is subject to intense competition and continuing industry consolidation that has created an even more competitive business environment. In certain geographic locations, some health care companies may have significant market share positions, but no one competitor dominates the health care market nationally. We expect a continuing trend of consolidation in the industry given the current economic and political environment. We also expect continued vertical integration, with the line blurring between clinicians and hospitals, and traditional insurers.

Competition in the health care market exists both for employers and other groups sponsoring plans and for the employees in those instances where the employer offers its employees a choice of products from more than one health care company. Most group policies are subject to annual review by the policyholder, who may seek competitive quotations prior to renewal. We expect competition to increase in the individual market as a result of the growth in the public health insurance exchanges under Health Care Reform. Given the relatively immature individual market and limited data around claim experience, we expect some uncertainty and competitive volatility through the initial years of the exchange roll out. Some of the risk is mitigated by the government risk mitigation programs.

The primary competitive factors affecting our business are quality and cost-effectiveness of service and provider networks; effectiveness of medical care management; products that meet the needs of employers and their employees; total cost management; technology; and effectiveness of marketing and sales. Financial strength of the insurer, as indicated by ratings issued by nationally recognized rating agencies, is also a competitive factor. We believe that our health advocacy capabilities, holistic approach to consumer engagement, breadth of product offerings, clinical care and medical management capabilities and array of product funding options are competitive advantages in meeting the diverse needs of our customer base. We also believe that our focus on helping to improve the health, well-being and sense of security of the customers we serve will allow us to differentiate ourselves from our competitors.

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    7

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Our principal competitors in the U.S.-based business are:

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other large insurance companies that provide group health and life insurance products;

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield organizations;

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stand-alone HMOs and PPOs;

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HMOs affiliated with major insurance companies and hospitals; and

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national managed pharmacy, behavioral health and utilization review services companies.

The primary competitors of the international health care business include U.S. and European health insurance companies with global health benefits operations. The primary competitors for our international health care operations in the United Kingdom and Spain are regional and local insurers.

Competition also arises from smaller regional or specialty companies with strength in a particular geographic area or product line, administrative service firms and, indirectly, self-insurers. In addition to these traditional competitors, a new group of competitors has emerged. Some of these newer competitors, such as hospitals and companies that offer web-based tools for employers and employees, are focused on delivering employee benefits and services through internet-enabled technology that allows consumers to take a more active role in the management of their health. This can be accomplished through financial incentives, access to enhanced quality medical data and other information sharing. The effective use of our health advocacy, customer insight and physician engagement capabilities, along with decision support tools (some of which are web-based) and enabling technology are critical to success in the health care industry, and we believe our capabilities in these areas will be competitive differentiators.

The health insurance marketplace will continue to be shaped by Health Care Reform. In 2016, Health Care Reform expands the small group market definition to employers with 100 or less employees, subjecting insurers in this market to community rating. The results of the 2014 Congressional elections add additional uncertainty as to the effects that Health Care Reform may have going forward. See the "Regulation" section of this Form 10-K for additional information regarding Health Care Reform.

On February 20, 2015, CMS issued its Advance Notice of Methodological Changes for Calendar Year 2016 for Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates, Part C and Part D Payment Policies (the "Notice"). The final terms are expected to be published on April 6, 2015. While the terms contained within the Notice are within the range of our expectations, there remain numerous open issues and substantial uncertainties regarding the final terms of the Notice. We expect that CMS will receive a significant number of comments from interested parties (including Cigna) prior to issuing the final terms; however, there can be no assurance that CMS will amend its current positions. Given the uncertainty regarding the final terms of the Notice, we cannot reliably estimate the impact on our business, revenues or results of operations in 2016 and beyond; under certain circumstances, it is possible that the impact could be materially adverse. In addition, we expect to adjust our programs and services in response to the proposed 2016 terms.

Our Global Supplemental Benefits segment offers supplemental health, life and accident insurance products primarily in Asia, Europe and the United States. With local licenses and partnerships in approximately 15 countries and jurisdictions, we are able to offer products and services to local citizens and globally mobile individuals. In China, Turkey, and India, we offer products and services through joint ventures. This segment constituted 9% of our consolidated revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014.

We continue to distinguish ourselves in the global supplemental health, life and accident businesses through our differentiated direct-to-consumer distribution, customer insights and marketing capabilities. We enter new markets when the opportunity to bring our product and health solutions is attractive. Over the past several years, we have continued to extend our product offerings and geographic reach. For example, in 2014, we began offering products in India through our joint venture with TTK Group. In 2012, we extended our reach in Turkey through the joint venture with Finansbank and expanded into the U.S. Medigap and supplemental lines of business through the acquisition of Great American Supplemental Benefits.

Supplemental Health, Life and Accident Insurance

Supplemental health, life and accident insurance products generally provide simple, affordable coverage of risks for the health and financial security of individuals. Supplemental health products provide specified payments for a variety of health risks and include personal accident, accidental death, critical illness, hospitalization, travel, dental, cancer and other dread disease coverages. We also offer customers individual private medical insurance, term and variable universal life insurance, and certain savings products.

Medicare Supplement Plans

We offer individual Medicare Supplement plans that provide retirees with federally standardized Medigap-style plans. Retirees may select among the various plans with specific plan options to meet their unique needs and may visit, without the need for a referral, any health care professional or facility that accepts Medicare throughout the United States.

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Premium rates for our global supplemental benefits products are based on assumptions about mortality, morbidity, customer acquisition and retention, customer demographics, expenses and target profit margins, as well as interest rates. For variable universal life insurance products, fees consist of mortality, administrative, asset management and surrender charges assessed against the contractholder's fund balance. Mortality charges on variable universal life may be adjusted prospectively to reflect expected mortality experience. Most contracts permit premium rate changes at least annually.

A global approach to underwriting risk management allows for each local business to underwrite and accept risk within specified limits. Retentions are centrally managed through cost effective use of external reinsurance to limit our liability on per life, per risk, and per event (catastrophe) bases.

Our supplemental health, life and accident insurance products sold in foreign countries are generally marketed through distribution partners with whom the individual insured has an affinity relationship. These products are sold primarily through direct marketing channels, such as outbound telemarketing, and in-branch bancassurance (where we partner with a bank and use the bank's sales channels to sell our insurance products). Marketing campaigns are conducted through these channels under a variety of arrangements with affinity partners, including banks, credit card companies and other financial and non-financial institutions. We also market directly to consumers via direct response television and the Internet. In certain countries, we market our products through captive and third party brokers. Our Medicare supplement product line is distributed primarily through independent agents and telemarketing directly to the consumer.

South Korea represents our single largest geographic market for Global Supplemental Benefits. For information on this concentration of risk for the Global Supplemental Benefits segment's business in South Korea, see "Other Items Affecting Results of Global Supplemental Benefits" in the Global Supplemental Benefits section of the MD&A beginning on page 52 of this Form 10-K.

For our supplemental health, life and accident insurance products sold in foreign markets we are increasingly exposed to geopolitical, currency and other risks inherent in foreign operations. Also, given that we bill and collect a significant portion of premiums through credit cards, a substantial contraction in consumer credit could impact our ability to retain existing policies and sell new policies. A decline in customer retention would result in both a reduction of revenue and an acceleration of the amortization of acquisition-related costs. Changes in regulation for permitted distribution channels also may impact our business or results.

We expect that the competitive environment for global supplemental benefits will continue to intensify as U.S., Europe and other regional-based insurance and financial services providers more aggressively pursue expansion opportunities across geographies, especially in Asia. We believe competitive factors will include branding, product and distribution innovation and differentiation, efficient management of marketing processes and costs, commission levels paid to distribution partners, the quality of claims, local network coverage, customer services and talent acquisition and retention. Additionally, in most overseas markets, perception of financial strength also will likely continue to be an important competitive factor.

Our competitors are primarily locally-based insurance companies, including insurance subsidiaries of banks primarily in Asia and Europe and multi-national companies. Insurance company competitors in this segment primarily focus on traditional product distribution through captive agents, with direct marketing being secondary channels. We estimate that we have less than 2% market share of the total insurance premiums in any given market in which we operate.

In the Medicare supplement business, the principal competitive factors are underwriting and pricing, relative operating efficiency, broker relations, and the quality of claims and customer service. Our primary competitors in this business include U.S.-based health insurance companies.

Pressure on social health care systems, a rapidly aging population and increased wealth and education in developing insurance markets are leading to higher demand for products providing health insurance and financial security. In the supplemental health, life and accident business, direct marketing channels continue to grow and attract new competitors with industry consolidation among financial institutions and other affinity partners. Recent Asian affinity deals have involved multinational insurers making large upfront payments to financial institutions for long term (over 10 years) exclusive regional distribution rights throughout their retail operations.

Data privacy regulation has tightened in all markets, in the wake of data privacy news scandals, impacting affinity partner and customer attitudes toward direct marketing of insurance and other financial services.

Our Group Disability and Life segment provides group long-term and short-term disability insurance, group life insurance, accident and specialty insurance and related services. We market these products and services in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. All products and services are offered by subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation.

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Group Disability

Long-term and short-term group disability insurance products generally provide a fixed level of income to replace a portion of wages lost because of disability. Group disability coverage is typically employer-paid or a combination of employer and employee-paid, but also may include coverage paid for entirely by employees. As part of our group disability insurance products, we also provide assistance to employees in returning to work and assistance to their employers in managing the cost of employee disability. We are an industry leader in helping employees return to work quickly, resulting in higher productivity and lower cost for employers and a better quality of life for their employees.

We seek to integrate our disability insurance products with other disability benefit programs, behavioral programs, medical programs, social security advocacy, and administration of federal and state Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) laws and other leave of absence programs. We believe this integration provides our customers with increased efficiency and effectiveness in disability claims management, enhances productivity and reduces overall costs to employers. This integration also provides early insight into employees at risk for future disability claims. Coordinating the administration of these disability programs with medical programs offered by our health care business provides enhanced opportunities to influence outcomes, reduce the cost of both medical and disability events and improve the return to work rate. The benefits of this integrated approach also include:

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using information from the health care and disability databases to help identify, treat and manage disabilities before they become chronic, longer in duration and more costly; and

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proactively reaching out to assist employees suffering from a mental health or chronic condition, either as a primary condition or as a result of another condition.

Our disability products and services are offered on a fully insured, experience-rated and ASO basis, although most are fully insured. As measured by 2014 premiums and fees, disability constituted approximately 49% of this segment's business. Approximately 13,800 insured disability policies covering over 7.5 million lives were in force as of December 31, 2014.

Group Life Insurance

Group life insurance products offered include term life and universal life. Group term life insurance may be employer-paid basic life insurance, employee-paid supplemental life insurance or a combination thereof. Group universal life insurance is an employee-paid, voluntary life insurance product in which the owner may accumulate a cash value. The cash value earns interest at rates declared from time to time, subject to a minimum guaranteed contracted rate, and may be borrowed, withdrawn, or, within certain limits, used to fund future life insurance coverage.

As measured by 2014 premiums and fees, group life insurance constituted approximately 45% of this segment's business. Approximately 8,700 group life insurance policies covering over 6 million lives were in force as of December 31, 2014.

Other Products and Services

We also offer personal accident insurance coverage, consisting primarily of accidental death and dismemberment and travel accident insurance to employers. Group accident insurance may be employer-paid or employee-paid. In addition, we offer specialty insurance services that consist primarily of disability and life, accident, and hospital indemnity products to professional or trade associations and financial institutions.

We also provide a number of voluntary products and services that are typically paid by the employee and offered at the employer's worksite. Our plans provide employers with administrative solutions designed to provide employers with a complete and simple way to manage their benefits program. Recently, we have brought to market two additional voluntary offerings – accidental injury insurance and critical illness coverage. Both products provide additional dollar payouts to employees for unexpected accidents or more serious illnesses.

Premiums charged for disability and term life insurance products are usually established in advance of the policy period and are generally guaranteed for one to three years and selectively guaranteed for up to five years; policies are generally subject to termination by the policyholder or by the insurance company annually. Premium rates reflect assumptions about future claims, expenses, credit risk, investment returns and profit margins. These assumptions may be based in whole or in part on prior experience of the account or on a pool of accounts, depending on the group size and the statistical credibility of the experience that varies by product.

Premiums for group universal life insurance products consist of mortality and administrative charges assessed against the policyholder's fund balance. Interest credited and mortality charges for group universal life may be adjusted prospectively to reflect expected interest and mortality experience. Mortality charges are subject to maximum guaranteed rates and interest credited on cash values is subject to minimum guaranteed rates as stated in the policy.

The effectiveness of return to work programs and morbidity levels will impact the profitability of disability insurance products. Our previous claim experience and industry data indicate a correlation between disability claim incidence levels and economic conditions, with submitted claims rising under adverse economic conditions, although this impact is not clear. For life insurance products, the degree to which future experience deviates from mortality and expense assumptions also affects profitability.

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To reduce our exposure to large individual and catastrophic losses under group life, disability and accidental death policies, we purchase reinsurance from a diverse group of unaffiliated reinsurers. Our comprehensive reinsurance program consists of excess of loss treaties and catastrophe coverage designed to mitigate earnings volatility and provide surplus protection.

We market our group disability and life insurance products and services to employers, employees, professional and other associations and groups in the National, Middle Market and Select segments. In marketing these products, we primarily sell through insurance brokers and consultants and employ a direct sales force consisting of approximately 235 sales professionals in 27 office locations as of December 31, 2014.

The principal competitive factors that affect the Group Disability and Life segment are underwriting and pricing, the quality and effectiveness of claims management, relative operating efficiency, investment and risk management, distribution methodologies and producer relations, the breadth and variety of products and services offered, and the quality of customer service. For certain products with longer-term liabilities, such as group long-term disability insurance, the financial strength of the insurer, as indicated by ratings issued by nationally recognized rating agencies, also is a competitive factor.

The principal competitors of our group disability, life and accident businesses are other large and regional insurance companies that market and distribute these or similar types of products. As of December 31, 2014, we are one of the top five providers of group disability, life and accident insurance in the United States, based on premiums.

Employers are expressing a growing interest in employee wellness, absence management and productivity and likewise are recognizing a strong link between employee health, productivity and their profitability. As this interest grows, we believe our healthy lifestyle and return-to-work programs and integrated family medical leave, disability and health care programs position us to deliver integrated solutions for employers and employees. We also believe that our strong disability management portfolio and fully integrated programs provide employers and employees tools to improve health status. This focus on managing the employee's total absence enables us to increase the number and likelihood of interventions and minimize disabling events.

The group insurance market remains highly competitive as the rising cost of providing medical coverage to employees has forced companies to re-evaluate their overall employee benefit spending, resulting in lower volumes of group disability and life insurance business and more competitive pricing. Demographic shifts have further driven demand for products and services that are sufficiently flexible to meet the evolving needs of employers and employees who want innovative, cost-effective solutions to their insurance needs. Employers continue to shift towards greater employee participatory coverage and voluntary purchases. With our broad suite of voluntary offerings and continued focus on developing additional voluntary products and service capabilities, we believe we are well positioned to meet the needs of both employers and employees as the market shifts to become more retail-focused.

Over the past few years, there has been heightened review by state regulators of the claims handling practices within the disability and life insurance industry. This has resulted in an increase in coordinated, multi-state examinations that target specific market practices in addition to regularly recurring examinations of an insurer's overall operations conducted by an individual state's regulators. We have been recently subject to such an examination. See Note 23 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

As discussed in the "Overview" section on page 1 of this Form 10-K, beginning in 2014, we combined the results of the Run-off Reinsurance segment with other immaterial segments in Other Operations. Throughout this Form 10-K, prior year information has been conformed to the current year presentation. Other Operations includes the following four businesses:

The principal products of the COLI business are permanent insurance contracts sold to corporations to provide coverage on the lives of certain employees for the purpose of financing employer-paid future benefit obligations. Permanent life insurance provides coverage that, when adequately funded, does not expire after a term of years. The contracts are primarily non-participating universal life policies. Fees for universal life insurance products consist primarily of mortality and administrative charges assessed against the policyholder's fund balance. Interest credited and mortality charges for universal life and mortality charges on variable universal life may be adjusted prospectively to reflect expected interest and mortality experience. To reduce our exposure to large individual and catastrophe losses, we purchase reinsurance from unaffiliated reinsurers.

Our reinsurance operations are an inactive business in run-off mode.

In February 2013, we effectively exited the GMDB and GMIB businesses by reinsuring 100% of our future exposures, net of retrocessional arrangements in place at that time, up to a specified limit. For additional information regarding this reinsurance transaction, see Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

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This business includes deferred gains recognized from the 1998 sale of the individual life insurance and annuity business and the 2004 sale of the retirement benefits business. For more information regarding the sale of these businesses and the arrangements that secure our reinsurance recoverables for the retirement benefits business, see Note 7 of the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Our settlement annuity business is a closed, run-off block of single premium annuity contracts. These contracts are primarily liability settlements with approximately 23% of the liabilities associated with payments that are guaranteed and not contingent on survivorship. For contracts that involve non-guaranteed payments, such payments are contingent on the survival of one or more parties involved in the settlement.

Our investment operations provide investment management and related services for our corporate invested assets and the insurance-related invested assets in our General Account ("General Account Invested Assets"). We acquire or originate, directly or through intermediaries, a broad range of investments including private placement and public securities, commercial mortgage loans, real estate, mezzanine, private equity partnerships and short-term investments. Invested assets also include policy loans that are fully collateralized by insurance policy cash values. Invested Assets are managed primarily by our subsidiaries and, to a lesser extent, external managers with whom our subsidiaries contract. Net investment income is included as a component of segment earnings for each of our reporting segments and Corporate. Realized investment gains (losses) are reported by segment but excluded from segment earnings. For additional information about invested assets, see the "Investment Assets" section of the MD&A beginning on page 55 and Notes 10 to 14 of our Consolidated Financial Statements.

We manage our investment portfolios to reflect the underlying characteristics of related insurance and contractholder liabilities and capital requirements, as well as regulatory and tax considerations pertaining to those liabilities and state investment laws. Insurance and contractholder liabilities range from short duration health care products to longer term obligations associated with disability and life insurance products and the run-off settlement annuity business. Assets supporting these liabilities are managed in segregated investment portfolios to facilitate matching of asset durations and cash flows to those of corresponding liabilities. Investment strategy and results are affected by the amount and timing of cash available for investment, competition for investments, economic conditions, interest rates and asset allocation decisions. We routinely monitor and evaluate the status of our investments, obtaining and analyzing relevant investment-specific information and assessing current economic conditions, trends in capital markets and other factors such as industry sector, geographic and/or property-specific information.

Our subsidiaries or external advisors manage Separate Account assets on behalf of contractholders. These assets are legally segregated from our other businesses and are not included in General Account Invested Assets. Income, gains and losses generally accrue directly to the contractholders. As of December 31, 2014, our Separate Account assets consisted of:

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$3.8 billion in separate account assets that constitute a portion of the assets of the Cigna Pension Plan;

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$3.5 billion in separate account assets that support Variable Universal Life products sold as a part of our corporate-owned life insurance business, as well as through our Global Supplemental Benefits segment; and

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$1.0 billion in separate account assets that support primarily health care and other disability and life products.

The laws and regulations governing our business continue to increase each year and are subject to frequent change. We are regulated by state, federal and international regulatory agencies that generally have discretion to issue regulations and interpret and enforce laws and rules. These regulations can vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and the interpretation of existing laws and rules also may change periodically. Domestic and international governments continue to enact and consider various legislative and regulatory proposals that could materially impact the health care system. See "Regulatory and Legislative Developments" on page 13.

Our insurance and HMO subsidiaries must be licensed by the jurisdictions in which they conduct business. These subsidiaries are subject to numerous state, federal and international regulations related to their business operations, including, but not limited to:

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the form and content of customer contracts including benefit mandates (including special requirements for small groups);

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premium rates and medical loss ratios;

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the content of agreements with participating providers of covered services;

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producer appointment and compensation;

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claims processing and appeals;

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underwriting practices;

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reinsurance arrangements;

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solvency/financial reporting;

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unfair trade and claim practices;

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protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the information received from customers;

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risk sharing arrangements with providers;

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reimbursement or payment levels for Medicare services;

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advertising; and

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the operation of consumer-directed plans (including health savings accounts, health reimbursement accounts, flexible spending accounts and debit cards).

In addition, our international subsidiaries are subject to regulations in international jurisdictions where foreign insurers may be faced with more onerous regulations than their domestic competitors. The broader regulatory environment may include anti-corruption laws, economic sanctions laws, various insurance, tax, tariff and trade laws and regulations, corporate governance, employment, intellectual property and investment laws and regulation, discriminatory licensing procedures, compulsory cessions of reinsurance, required localization of records and funds, higher premium and income taxes, and requirements for local participation in an insurer's ownership. In addition, the expansion of our operations into foreign countries increases our exposure to certain U.S. laws, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 ("FCPA"). See page 15 for further discussion of international regulations.

The business of administering and insuring employee benefit programs in the United States, particularly health care programs, is heavily regulated by state and federal laws and administrative agencies, such as state departments of insurance, and federal agencies including HHS, CMS, the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") and the Departments of Labor, Treasury and Justice, as well as the courts. Health savings accounts, health reimbursement accounts and flexible spending accounts also are regulated by the Department of the Treasury and the IRS.

Our operations, accounts and other books and records are subject to examination at regular intervals by regulatory agencies, including state insurance and health and welfare departments, state boards of pharmacy and CMS to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, our current and past business practices are subject to review by, and from time to time we receive subpoenas and other requests of information from, various state insurance and health care regulatory authorities, attorneys general, the Office of Inspector General ("OIG"), the Department of Labor and other state and federal authorities, including inquiries by, and testimony before committees and subcommittees of the U.S. Congress regarding certain of our business practices. These examinations, reviews, subpoenas and requests may result in changes to or clarifications of our business practices, as well as fines, penalties or other sanctions.

The federal and state governments in the United States as well as governments in other countries where we do business continue to enact and consider many broad-based legislative and regulatory proposals that could materially impact various aspects of our business.

Health Care Reform

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (collectively referred to as "Health Care Reform") mandates broad changes affecting insured and self-insured health benefit plans that impact our current business model, including our relationship with current and future customers, producers and health care providers, products, services, processes and technology. Most of the key provisions of Health Care Reform are now effective. Health Care Reform left many details to be established through regulations. While federal agencies have published proposed and final regulations with respect to most provisions, many issues remain uncertain. In addition, certain provisions of Health Care Reform have been subject to legal challenge, including the case currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court as to whether premium subsidies are available for eligible residents in states that have not established state-based exchanges. Other provisions of Health Care Reform have been amended or delayed, such as the employer mandate, which will be phased in during 2015 and 2016 based on employer size. The employer mandate requires employers with 50 or more full-time employees to offer health insurance that is affordable and provides minimum value (each as defined under Health Care Reform) to full-time employees and children up to age 26 or be subject to penalties.

Key Provisions of Health Care Reform in Effect

Various fees, including the health insurance industry tax and the reinsurance fee, were assessed beginning in 2014. The health insurance industry assessment, totaling $8.0 billion for the industry in 2014 and increasing to $13.9 billion by 2017, is not tax deductible. Our share of this industry tax is determined based on our proportion of premiums for both our commercial and government risk businesses to the industry total. The reinsurance fee is a temporary (2014-2016) fixed dollar per customer levy on all insurers, HMOs and self-insured group health plans and is tax deductible.

The health insurance exchange enrollment process began on October 1, 2013 with coverage first effective in 2014. Each state has a state-based, a state and federal partnership, or a federally-facilitated health insurance exchange for individuals and small employer groups to purchase insurance coverage.

Because individuals seeking to purchase health insurance coverage beginning in 2014 either on or off the exchanges are guaranteed to be issued a policy, Health Care Reform provides programs designed to reduce the risk for participating health insurance companies including: 1) a temporary (2014-2016) reinsurance program; and (2) a premium stabilization program comprised of two components: a temporary program (2014-2016) limiting insurer gains and losses, and a permanent program that adjusts premiums based on the relative health status of the customer base. See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Introduction to the MD&A contained in this Form 10-K for additional information on these programs.

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Commercial minimum medical loss ratio requirements, as prescribed by HHS, became effective in January 2011 and require payment of premium rebates to group and individual policyholders if certain annual MLRs are not met in our commercial business. In December 2014, the federal government enacted legislation that provides permanent relief from certain Health Care Reform requirements for expatriate health coverage (including the MLR requirements). For the financial impact of the commercial MLR requirements on our results, see the "Overview" section of our MD&A in this Form 10-K.

Other provisions already in effect include reduced Medicare Advantage premium rates, the requirement to cover preventive services with no enrollee cost-sharing, banning the use of lifetime and annual limits on the dollar amount of essential health benefits, increasing restrictions on rescinding coverage and extending coverage of dependents to the age of 26. Health Care Reform also changed certain tax laws that effectively limit tax deductions for certain employee compensation paid by health insurers.

Our Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plan businesses also have been impacted by Health Care Reform in a variety of additional ways beginning in 2014, including mandated minimum reductions to risk scores, transition of Medicare Advantage "benchmark" rates to Medicare fee-for-service parity, reduced enrollment periods and limitations on disenrollment, providing "quality bonuses" for Medicare Advantage plans with a rating for four or five stars from CMS and mandated consumer discounts on brand name and generic prescription drugs for Medicare Part D plan participants in the coverage gap. Beginning in 2014, Health Care Reform requires Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans to meet a minimum MLR of 85%. Under the finalized regulations promulgated by HHS, if the MLR for a CMS contract is less than 85%, we are required to pay a penalty to CMS and could be subject to additional sanctions if the MLR continues to be less than 85% for successive years. Through Health Care Reform and other federal legislation, funding for Medicare Advantage plans has been and may continue to be altered.

We have substantially implemented the key provisions of Health Care Reform. Management continues to be actively engaged with regulators and policymakers with respect to rule-making. For the financial effects of certain Health Care Reform provisions, see the Overview section of our MD&A beginning on page 32 of this Form 10-K. In addition, accounting policies around the government's risk mitigation programs are further disclosed in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

Financial Reporting, Internal Control and Corporate Governance

Regulators closely monitor the financial condition of licensed insurance companies and HMOs. States regulate the form and content of statutory financial statements, the type and concentration of permitted investments, and corporate governance over financial reporting. Our insurance and HMO subsidiaries are required to file periodic financial reports and schedules with regulators in most of the jurisdictions in which they do business as well as annual financial statements audited by independent registered public accounting firms. Certain insurance and HMO subsidiaries are required to file an annual report of internal control over financial reporting with most jurisdictions in which they do business. Insurance and HMO subsidiaries' operations and accounts are subject to examination by such agencies. We expect states to expand regulations relating to corporate governance and internal control activities of insurance and HMO subsidiaries as a result of an amendment by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners ("NAIC") to its Annual Financial Reporting Model Regulation that has elements similar to corporate governance and risk oversight disclosure requirements under federal securities laws. The NAIC formally adopted these requirements in late 2014, which apply to all U.S. insurers beginning in 2016.

Guaranty Associations, Indemnity Funds, Risk Pools and Administrative Funds

Most states and certain non-U.S. jurisdictions require insurance companies to support guaranty associations or indemnity funds that are established to pay claims on behalf of insolvent insurance companies. In the United States, to pay such claims, these associations levy assessments on member insurers licensed in a particular state. Certain states require HMOs to participate in guaranty funds, special risk pools and administrative funds. For additional information about guaranty fund and other assessments, see Note 23 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Certain states continue to require health insurers and HMOs to participate in assigned risk plans, joint underwriting authorities, pools or other residual market mechanisms to cover risks not acceptable under normal underwriting standards, although some states have eliminated these requirements as a result of Health Care Reform.

Solvency and Capital Requirements

Many states have adopted some form of the NAIC model solvency-related laws and risk-based capital rules ("RBC rules") for life and health insurance companies. The RBC rules recommend a minimum level of capital depending on the types and quality of investments held, the types of business written and the types of liabilities incurred. If the ratio of the insurer's adjusted surplus to its risk-based capital falls below statutory required minimums, the insurer could be subject to regulatory actions ranging from increased scrutiny to conservatorship.

In addition, various non-U.S. jurisdictions prescribe minimum surplus requirements that are based upon solvency, liquidity and reserve coverage measures. During 2014, our HMOs and life and health insurance subsidiaries, as well as non-U.S. insurance subsidiaries, were compliant with applicable RBC and non-U.S. surplus rules.

In 2012, the NAIC adopted the Risk Management and Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Model Act ("ORSA"). ORSA provides requirements and principles for maintaining a group solvency assessment and a risk management framework and reflects a broader approach to U.S. insurance regulation. ORSA, which includes a

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requirement to file an annual ORSA Summary Report in the lead state of domicile, now must be adopted into law by each state. Our insurance business in the United States will be subject to these requirements that are expected to become effective in 2015. We will be prepared to file an ORSA Summary Report with our lead state regulator consistent with the requirements.

Holding Company Laws

Our domestic insurance companies and certain of our HMOs are subject to state laws regulating subsidiaries of insurance holding companies. Under such laws, certain dividends, distributions and other transactions between an insurance or an HMO subsidiary and its affiliates may require notification to, or approval by, one or more state insurance commissioners.

Marketing, Advertising and Products

In most states, our insurance companies and HMO subsidiaries are required to certify compliance with applicable advertising regulations on an annual basis. Our insurance companies and HMO subsidiaries are also required by most states to file and secure regulatory approval of products prior to the marketing, advertising, and sale of such products.

Licensing Requirements

Certain of our subsidiaries are pharmacies that dispense prescription drugs to participants of benefit plans administered or insured by our HMO and insurance company subsidiaries. These pharmacy-subsidiaries are subject to state licensing requirements and regulation as well as U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency registration requirements. Other laws and regulation affecting our pharmacy-subsidiaries include federal and state laws concerning labeling, packaging, advertising and adulteration of prescription drugs and dispensing of controlled substances.

Certain subsidiaries contract to provide claim administration, utilization management and other related services for the administration of self-insured benefit plans. These subsidiaries may be subject to state third-party administration and other licensing requirements and regulation.

Our international subsidiaries are often required to be licensed when entering new markets or starting new operations in certain jurisdictions. The licensure requirements for these subsidiaries vary by country and are subject to change.

Our operations outside the United States expose us to laws of multiple jurisdictions and the rules and regulations of various governing bodies and regulators, including those related to financial and other disclosures, corporate governance, privacy, data protection, data mining, data transfer, labor and employment, consumer protection, direct-to-consumer communications activities, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering. Foreign laws and rules may include requirements that are different from or more stringent than similar requirements in the United States.

Our operations in countries outside the United States:

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are subject to local regulations in the locations in which our subsidiaries conduct business,

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in some cases, are subject to regulations in the locations of customers, and

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in all cases, are subject to the FCPA.

The FCPA prohibits offering, promising, providing or authorizing others to give anything of value to a foreign government official or employee to obtain or retain business or otherwise secure a business advantage. In many countries outside of the United States, health care professionals are employed by the government. Violations of the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws may result in severe criminal and civil sanctions as well as other penalties, and the SEC and Department of Justice have increased their enforcement activities with respect to FCPA. The UK Bribery Act of 2010 applies to all companies with a nexus to the United Kingdom. Under this act, any voluntary disclosures of FCPA violations may be shared with United Kingdom authorities, thus potentially exposing companies to liability and potential penalties in multiple jurisdictions.

If our employees or agents fail to comply with applicable laws governing our international operations, we may face investigations, prosecutions and other legal proceedings and actions that could result in civil penalties, administrative remedies and criminal sanctions. See the Risk Factors section beginning on page 18 for a discussion of risks related to operating globally.

Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Public Health Service Act

Our domestic subsidiaries sell most of their products and services to sponsors of employee benefit plans that are governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA"). ERISA is a complex set of federal laws and regulations enforced by the IRS and the Department of Labor, as well as the courts. Our domestic subsidiaries are subject to requirements imposed by ERISA affecting claim payment and appeals procedures for individual health insurance and insured and self-insured group health plans and for the insured dental, disability, life and accident plans we administer. Our domestic subsidiaries also may contractually agree to comply with these requirements on behalf of the self-insured dental, disability, life and accident plans they administer.

Many provisions of Health Care Reform impacting insured and self-insured group health plans were incorporated into ERISA. The health insurance reform provisions under ERISA were also incorporated into the Public Health Service Act and are directly applicable to health insurance issuers (i.e., health insurers and HMOs).

Plans subject to ERISA also can be subject to state laws and the legal question of whether and to what extent ERISA preempts a state law has been, and will continue to be, subject to court interpretation.

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Medicare Regulations

Several of our subsidiaries engage in businesses that are subject to federal Medicare regulations, such as:

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those offering individual and group Medicare Advantage (HMO) coverage;

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those offering Medicare Pharmacy (Part D) products that are subject to federal Medicare regulations; and

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billing of Medicare Part B claims on behalf of providers with whom we have contractual management agreements.

In our Medicare Advantage business, we contract with CMS to provide services to Medicare beneficiaries pursuant to the Medicare program. As a result, our right to obtain payment (and the determination of the amount of such payments), enroll and retain members and expand into new service areas is subject to compliance with CMS' numerous and complex regulations and requirements that are frequently modified and subject to administrative discretion. Marketing and sales activities (including those of third-party brokers and agents) are also heavily regulated by CMS and other governmental agencies, including applicable state departments of insurance. We expect to continue to allocate significant resources to our compliance, ethics and fraud, waste and abuse programs to comply with the laws and regulations governing Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plan programs.

Several of our subsidiaries are also subject to reporting requirements pursuant to Section 111 of the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007.

Federal Audits of Government Sponsored Health Care Programs

Participation in government sponsored health care programs subjects us to a variety of federal laws and regulations and risks associated with audits conducted under these programs. These audits may occur in years subsequent to our providing the relevant services under audit. These risks may include reimbursement claims as well as potential fines and penalties. For example, with respect to our Medicare Advantage business, CMS and the Office of the Inspector General perform audits to determine a health plan's compliance with federal regulations and contractual obligations, including compliance with proper coding practices (sometimes referred to as "Risk Adjustment Data Validation Audits" or "RADV audits") and compliance with fraud and abuse enforcement practices through Recovery Audit Contractor ("RAC") audits in which third-party contractors conduct post-payment reviews on a contingency fee basis to detect and correct improper payments. See "Business – Global Health Care" beginning on page 2 of this Form 10-K for additional information about our participation in government health-related programs.

The federal government has made investigating and prosecuting health care fraud and abuse a priority. Fraud and abuse prohibitions encompass a wide range of activities, including kickbacks for referral of customers, billing for unnecessary medical services, improper marketing, and violation of patient privacy rights. The regulations and contractual requirements in this area are complex, are frequently modified, and are subject to administrative discretion. We expect to continue to allocate significant resources to comply with these regulations and requirements and to maintain audit readiness.

Privacy, Security and Data Standards Regulations

The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and its implementing regulations ("HIPAA") imposes minimum standards on health insurers, HMOs, health plans, health care providers and clearinghouses for the privacy and security of protected health information. HIPAA also established rules that standardize the format and content of certain electronic transactions, including, but not limited to, eligibility and claims. ICD-9 is the current electronic code system for diagnosis and procedures for hospital claims. Entities subject to HIPAA are required to update their transaction formats for electronic data interchange standards and convert to new ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes. The effective date for ICD-10 conversion is October 1, 2015.

HIPAA's privacy and security requirements were expanded by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act ("HITECH") through additional contracting requirements for covered entities, the extension of privacy and security provisions to business associates, the requirement to provide notification to various parties in the event of a data breach of protected health information, and enhanced financial penalties for HIPAA violations, including potential criminal penalties for individuals.

The federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act generally places restrictions on the disclosure of non-public information to non-affiliated third parties, and requires financial institutions, including insurers, to provide customers with notice regarding how their non-public personal information is used, including an opportunity to "opt out" of certain disclosures. State departments of insurance and certain federal agencies adopted implementing regulations as required by federal law.

A number of states have adopted data security laws and regulations, regulating data security and requiring security breach notification that may apply to us in certain circumstances. Neither HIPAA nor the Gramm-Leach-Bliley privacy regulations preempt more stringent state laws and regulations.

Dodd-Frank Act and Investment-Related Regulations

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act") provides for a number of reforms and regulations in the corporate governance, financial reporting and disclosure, investments, tax and enforcement areas. The Dodd-Frank Act established a Federal Insurance Office (the "FIO") to develop federal policy on insurance matters. While the FIO does not have authority over health insurance, it may have authority over other parts of our business, such as life insurance. Additional rulemaking by the SEC and other regulatory authorities continues. We are closely monitoring how these regulations might impact us; however, the full impact may not be known for several years until regulations become fully effective.

Depending upon their nature, our investment management activities are subject to U.S. federal securities laws, ERISA and other federal and state laws governing investment related activities. In many cases, the

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investment management activities and investments of individual insurance companies are subject to regulation by multiple jurisdictions.

Office of Foreign Assets Control Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering

We also are subject to regulation by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Department of the Treasury, which administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on U.S. foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes.

Certain of our products are subject to Department of the Treasury anti-money laundering regulations under the Bank Secrecy Act.

In addition, we may be subject to similar regulations in non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we operate.

Premiums and fees from CMS represented 21% of our total consolidated revenues for the year ended December 31, 2014 under a number of contracts. We are not dependent on business from one or a few customers. Other than CMS, no one customer accounted for 10% or more of our consolidated revenues in 2014. We are not dependent on business from one or a few brokers or agents. In addition, our insurance businesses are generally not committed to accept a fixed portion of the business submitted by independent brokers and agents, and generally all such business is subject to approval and acceptance.

We had approximately 37,200 employees as of December 31, 2014; 36,500 employees as of December 31, 2013; and 35,800 employees as of December 31, 2012.

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As a large company operating in a complex industry, we encounter a variety of risks and uncertainties that could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity, results of operations or financial condition. You should carefully consider each of the risks and uncertainties discussed below, in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition and information contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe to be immaterial may also adversely affect us.

Our business is subject to substantial government regulation, as well as new laws or regulations or changes in existing laws or regulations that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

Our business is regulated at the federal, state, local and international levels. The laws and rules governing our business and related interpretations, including, among others, those associated with Health Care Reform, are increasing in number and complexity, are subject to frequent change and can be inconsistent or in conflict with each other. As a public company with global operations, we are subject to the laws of multiple jurisdictions and the rules and regulations of various governing bodies, such as those related to financial and other disclosures, corporate governance, privacy, data protection, labor and employment, consumer protection, tax and anti-corruption.

We must identify, assess and respond to new trends in the legislative and regulatory environment, as well as comply with the various existing regulations applicable to our business. Existing or future laws, rules, regulatory interpretations or judgments could force us to change how we conduct our business, restrict revenue and enrollment growth, increase health care, technology and administrative costs, including capital requirements, and require enhancements to our compliance infrastructure and internal controls environment. Existing or future laws and rules also could require us to take other actions such as changing our business practices, thereby increasing our liability in federal and state courts for coverage determinations, contract interpretation and other actions.

In the foreseeable future, the impact of existing regulations and future regulatory and legislative changes could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows by, among other things:

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reducing the potential for growth in revenues and customers by disrupting the employer-based market (currently the primary market for our Commercial operating segment) if employers cease to offer health care coverage for their employees;

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restricting revenue, premium and customer growth in certain products and markets or expansion into new markets;

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increasing health care or other benefit costs through enhanced or guaranteed coverage requirements;

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increasing operating costs through the imposition of new regulatory requirements, increased taxes and other financial assessments;

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restricting our ability to increase premium rates to meet costs (including denial or delays in approval and implementation of those rates);

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limiting the level of margin we can earn on premiums through mandated minimum medical loss ratios and required rebates in the event we do not meet mandated minimum ratios;

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restricting our ability to participate in and derive revenue from government-sponsored programs; and

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significantly reducing the level of Medicare program payments.

Specifically, in the United States, significant changes are occurring in the health care system as a result of Health Care Reform. Substantially all of the key provisions of Health Care Reform are now effective. While federal agencies have published interim and final regulations with respect to certain requirements, many issues remain uncertain. It is difficult to predict the impact of Health Care Reform on our business due to the law's complexity, the political environment, the continuing development of implementing regulations and interpretive guidance, legal challenges and possible future legislative changes. We are unable to predict how these events will develop and what impact they will have on Health Care Reform, and in turn, on our business including, but not limited to, our relationships with current and future customers, producers and health care providers, products, services, processes and technology. Further, if we fail to effectively implement or adjust our strategic and operational initiatives, such as by reducing operating costs, adjusting premium pricing or benefit design or transforming our business model, in response to Health Care Reform and any other future legislative or regulatory changes, this failure may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, including, but not limited to, our ability to maintain the value of our goodwill and other intangible assets.

Our insurance and HMO subsidiaries must be licensed by and are subject to the regulations of the jurisdictions in which they conduct business. For example, health maintenance organizations and insurance companies are regulated under state insurance holding company regulations and other health care-related regulations. State regulations mandate minimum capital or restricted cash reserve requirements and subject us to assessments under guaranty fund laws and related regulations for certain obligations to claimants of insolvent insurance companies, which would expose our business to the risk of insolvency of a competitor in these states. We also participate in the emerging private exchange marketplace and the extent to which states may issue regulations that apply to private exchanges remains uncertain.

In addition to the regulations discussed above, we are required to obtain and maintain insurance and other regulatory approvals to market many of our products, increase prices for certain regulated products and consummate some of our acquisitions and dispositions. Delays in obtaining or failure to obtain or maintain these approvals could reduce our revenue or increase our costs.

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The health care industry also is regularly subject to negative media attention, including as a result of the political environment and the ongoing debate concerning Health Care Reform. Such publicity may adversely affect our stock price and reputation in certain markets.

For more information on regulation, see "Business – Regulation" in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K. See also the description of Health Care Reform's minimum medical loss ratio and customer rebate requirements in the "Business – Global Health Care" section beginning on page 2 of this Form 10-K.

We face risks related to litigation, regulatory audits and investigations.

We are routinely involved in numerous claims, lawsuits, regulatory audits, investigations and other legal matters arising in the ordinary course of business, including that of administering and insuring employee benefit programs. These could include benefit claims, breach of contract actions, tort claims, claims disputes under federal or state laws and disputes regarding reinsurance arrangements, employment and employment discrimination-related suits, anti-trust claims, employee benefit claims, wage and hour claims, tax, privacy, intellectual property and real estate disputes. In addition, we have incurred and likely will continue to incur liability for practices and claims related to our health care business, such as marketing misconduct, failure to timely or appropriately pay for or provide health care, provider network structure, poor outcomes for care delivered or arranged, provider disputes, including disputes over compensation or contractual provisions, and claims related to self-funded business. There are currently, and may be in the future, attempts to bring class action lawsuits against the industry or, absent a class action, individual plaintiffs may bring multiple claims regarding the same subject matter against us and other companies in our industry.

Court decisions and legislative activity may increase our exposure for any of these types of claims. In some cases, substantial non-economic or punitive damages may be sought. We seek to procure insurance coverage to cover some of these potential liabilities. However, certain potential liabilities may not be covered by insurance, insurers may dispute coverage or the amount of insurance may be insufficient to cover the entire damages awarded. In addition, certain types of damages, such as punitive damages, may not be covered by insurance, and insurance coverage for all or certain forms of liability may become unavailable or prohibitively expensive in the future. It is possible that the resolution of current or future legal matters and claims could result in losses material to our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

We are frequently the subject of regulatory market conduct and other reviews, audits and investigations by state insurance and health and welfare departments, attorneys general, CMS and the OIG and comparable authorities in foreign jurisdictions. With respect to our Medicare Advantage business, CMS and OIG perform audits to determine a health plan's compliance with federal regulations and contractual obligations, including compliance with proper coding practices and fraud and abuse enforcement practices through audits designed to detect and correct improper payments. There also continues to be heightened review by federal and state regulators of business and reporting practices within the health care and disability insurance industry and increased scrutiny by other state and federal governmental agencies (such as state attorney general offices) empowered to bring criminal actions in circumstances that could have previously given rise only to civil or administrative proceedings. These regulatory audits or reviews or actions by other governmental agencies could result in changes to or clarifications of our business practices, retroactive adjustments to certain premiums, significant fines, penalties, civil liabilities, criminal liabilities or other sanctions, including restrictions on our ability to operate, that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation, financial condition and liquidity.

A description of material pending legal actions and other legal matters is included in Note 23 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K. The outcome of litigation and other legal matters is always uncertain, and outcomes that are not justified by the evidence or existing law can occur.

Future performance of our business will depend on our ability to execute our strategic and operational initiatives effectively.

The future performance of our business will depend in large part on our ability to effectively implement and execute our strategic and operational initiatives including: (1) driving growth in targeted geographies, product lines, customer buying segments and distribution channels; (2) improving our strategic and financial flexibility; and (3) pursuing additional opportunities in high-growth markets with particular focus on individuals. Successfully executing these initiatives depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:

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differentiate our products and services from those of our competitors;

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develop and introduce new products or programs, particularly in response to government regulation and the increased focus on consumer-directed products;

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grow our commercial product portfolio, including expanded participation in the public health insurance exchanges;

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identify and introduce the proper mix or integration of products that will be accepted by the marketplace;

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attract and retain sufficient numbers of qualified employees;

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attract, develop and maintain collaborative relationships with a sufficient number of qualified partners, including physicians and other health care providers in an environment of growing shortages of primary care professionals and consolidation within the provider industry;

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transition health care providers from volume-based fee for service arrangements to a value-based system;

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improve medical cost competitiveness in targeted markets;

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manage our medical and administrative costs effectively;

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manage our balance sheet exposures effectively, including our pension funding obligations; and

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reduce our Global Health Care operating expenses to achieve sustainable benefits.

If these initiatives fail or are not executed effectively, it could harm our consolidated financial position and results of operations. For example, efforts to reduce operating expenses while maintaining the necessary resources and talent pool are important and, if not managed effectively, could have long-term effects on our business by negatively impacting our ability to drive improvements in the quality of our products. For our strategic initiatives to succeed, we must effectively integrate our operations, including our acquired businesses, actively work to ensure consistency throughout the organization, and promote a global mind-set and a focus on individual customers. If we fail to do so, our business may be unable to grow as planned, or the result of expansion may be unsatisfactory. In addition, the current competitive, economic and regulatory environment requires our organization to adapt rapidly and nimbly to new opportunities and challenges. We will be unable to do so if we do not make important decisions quickly, define our appetite for risk specifically, implement new governance, managerial and organizational processes smoothly and communicate roles and responsibilities clearly.

As a global company, we face political, legal, operational, regulatory, economic and other risks that present challenges and could negatively affect our multinational operations and/or our long-term growth.

As a global company, our business is increasingly exposed to risks inherent in foreign operations. These risks, which can vary substantially by market, include political, legal, operational, regulatory, economic and other risks, including government intervention that we do not face in our U.S. operations. The global nature of our business and operations may present challenges including, but not limited to, those arising from:

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varying regional and geopolitical business conditions and demands;

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regulation that may discriminate against U.S. companies, favor nationalization or expropriate assets;

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price controls or other pricing issues and exchange controls or other restrictions that prevent us from transferring funds from these operations out of the countries in which we operate or converting local currencies that our foreign operations hold into U.S. dollars or other currencies;

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foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations that may have an impact on the future costs or on future sales and cash flows from our international operations, and any measures that we may implement to reduce the effect of volatile currencies and other risks of our international operations may not be effective;

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our reliance on local sales forces for some operations in countries that may have labor problems and/or less flexible employee relationships that can be difficult and expensive to terminate, or where changes in local regulation or law may disrupt business operations;

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effectively managing our partner relationships in countries outside of the United States;

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managing more geographically diverse operations and projects;

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operating in new foreign markets that may require considerable management time before operations generate any significant revenues and earnings;

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the need to provide data protection on a global basis and sufficient levels of technical support in different locations;

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political instability or acts of war, terrorism, natural disasters or pandemics in locations where we operate; and

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general economic and political conditions.

These factors may increase in significance as we continue to expand globally, and any one of these challenges could negatively affect our operations or long-term growth. For example, due to the concentration of business in South Korea, the Global Supplemental Benefits segment is exposed to potential losses resulting from economic, regulatory and geopolitical developments in that country, as well as foreign currency movements affecting the South Korean currency, that could have a significant impact on the segment's results and our consolidated financial results.

International operations also require us to devote significant resources to implement controls and systems in new markets to comply, and to ensure that our vendors and partners comply, with U.S. and foreign laws prohibiting bribery, corruption and money laundering, in addition to other regulations regarding, among other things, our products, direct-to-consumer communications, customer privacy and data protection. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or employees, restrictions or outright prohibitions on the conduct of our business, and significant reputational harm. We must regularly reassess the size, capability and location of our global infrastructure and make appropriate changes, and must have effective change management processes and internal controls in place to address changes in our business and operations. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to anticipate these risks and manage these difficulties. Our failure to comply with laws and regulations governing our conduct outside the United States or to establish constructive relations with non-U.S. regulators could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and long-term growth.

There are various risks associated with participating in government-sponsored programs, such as Medicare, including dependence upon government funding, changes occurring as a result of Health Care Reform, compliance with government contracts and increased regulatory oversight.

Through our Cigna-HealthSpring business, we contract with CMS and various state governmental agencies to provide managed health care services, including Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare-approved prescription drug plans. Revenues from Medicare programs are dependent, in whole or in part, upon annual funding from the federal government through CMS and/or applicable state or local

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governments. Funding for these programs is dependent on many factors outside our control, including general economic conditions, continuing government efforts to contain health care costs and budgetary constraints at the federal or applicable state or local level and general political issues and priorities. These entities generally have the right to not renew or cancel their contracts with us on short notice without cause or if funds are not available. Unanticipated changes in funding, such as the application of sequestration by the federal or state governments, could substantially reduce our revenues and profitability.

The Medicare program has been the subject of recent regulatory reform initiatives, including Health Care Reform. The premium rates paid to Medicare Advantage plans are established by contract, although the rates differ depending on a combination of factors, many of which are outside our control. Effective in 2012, Health Care Reform ties a portion of each Medicare Advantage plan's reimbursement to the plan's "star rating" by CMS, with those plans receiving a rating of three or more stars eligible for quality-based bonus payments. The star rating system considers various measures adopted by CMS, including, among other things, quality of care, preventative services, chronic illness management and customer satisfaction. Beginning in 2015, plans must have a star rating of four or higher to qualify for bonus payments. Our Medicare Advantage plans' operating results, premium revenue and benefit offerings are likely to continue to be significantly determined by their star ratings. If we do not maintain or continue to improve our star ratings, our plans may not be eligible for full-level quality bonuses, which could adversely affect the benefits that our plans can offer, reduce our customer base and/or reduce margins.

Contracts with CMS and the various state governmental agencies contain certain provisions regarding data submission, provider network maintenance, quality measures, claims payment, continuity of care, call center performance and other requirements. If we fail to comply with these requirements, we may be subject to fines or penalties that could impact our profitability.

In addition, any failure to comply with various state and federal health care laws and regulations, including those directed at preventing fraud and abuse in government funded programs, could result in investigations or litigation, such as actions under the federal False Claims Act and similar whistleblower statutes under state laws. This could subject us to fines, limits on expansion, restrictions or exclusions from programs or other agreements with federal or state governmental agencies that could adversely impact our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, our Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug businesses face a number of other risks including potential uncollectible receivables resulting from processing and/or verifying enrollment, inadequate underwriting assumptions, inability to receive and process correct information or increased medical or pharmaceutical costs. Actual results may be materially different than our assumptions and estimates regarding these complex and wide-ranging programs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If we fail to develop and maintain satisfactory relationships with physicians, hospitals and other health care providers, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

We contract with physicians, hospitals and other health care providers for services rendered to our customers. Our results of operations are substantially dependent on our ability to contract for these services at competitive prices. In any particular market, physicians, hospitals and health care providers could refuse to contract, demand higher payments or take other actions that could result in higher medical costs or less desirable products for our customers. In some markets, certain providers, particularly hospitals, physician/hospital organizations and multi-specialty physician groups, may have significant or controlling market positions that could result in a diminished bargaining position for us. If providers refuse to contract with us, use their market position to negotiate favorable contracts or place us at a competitive disadvantage, our ability to market products or to be profitable in those areas could be materially and adversely affected.

Our ability to develop and maintain satisfactory relationships with health care providers also may be negatively impacted by other factors not associated with us, such as changes in Medicare and/or Medicaid reimbursement levels, increasing revenue and other pressures on health care providers and consolidation activity among hospitals, physician groups and health care providers. For example, ongoing reductions by CMS and state governments in amounts payable to providers, particularly hospitals, for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid enrollees may pressure the financial condition of certain providers and, in turn, adversely impact our ability to maintain or develop new cost-effective health care provider contracts or result in a loss of revenues or customers.

Recent and continuing consolidation among physicians, hospitals and other health care providers, development of accountable care organizations and other changes in the organizational structures that physicians, hospitals and health care providers choose may change the way these providers interact with us and may change the competitive landscape in which we operate. In some instances, these organizations may compete directly with us, potentially affecting the way that we price our products or causing us to incur increased costs if we change our operations to be more competitive. Our focus on developing collaborative accountable care organizations and independent practice associations or similar business arrangements with physicians and other health care providers may not achieve intended benefits, which could adversely affect our strategy or prospects.

Out-of-network providers do not have an understanding with us about the amount of compensation due for their services. Some states define by law or regulation the amounts due, but in most instances it is not defined or is established by a standard that is not clearly translatable into dollar terms. In such instances, providers may believe that they were underpaid and may litigate or arbitrate their dispute with us or try to recover from our customers the difference between what we have paid them and the amount they charged us. The outcome of disputes where we do not have a provider contract may cause us to pay higher medical or other benefit costs than we projected.

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We are dependent on the success of our relationships with third parties for various services and functions, including, but not limited to, pharmacy benefit management services.

To improve operating costs, productivity and efficiencies, we outsource to, or enter into partnership arrangements with, third parties for selected services and functions, such as pharmacy benefit management, information technology, independent practice associations, medical management, call centers and claim services. Our operations may be vulnerable if these third parties fail to satisfy their obligations to us or if the arrangement is terminated in whole or in part for any reason or if there is a contractual dispute between us and these third parties. Even though contracts are intended to provide certain protections, we have limited control over the actions of third parties. For example, noncompliance with any privacy or security laws and regulations or any security breach involving one of our third-party vendors or a dispute between us and a third party vendor related to our arrangement could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and reputation. In addition, with respect to outsourced services or functions to third parties in foreign jurisdictions, we also are exposed to risks inherent in conducting business outside of the United States.

Outsourcing also may require us to change our existing operations, adopt new processes for managing these providers and/or redistribute responsibilities to realize the potential productivity and operational efficiencies. If there are delays or difficulties in changing business processes or our third party vendors do not perform as expected, we may not realize, or realize on a timely basis, the anticipated economic and other benefits of these relationships. This could result in substantial costs or regulatory compliance issues, divert management's attention from other strategic activities, negatively affect employee morale or create other operational or financial problems for us. Terminating or transitioning in whole or in part arrangements with key vendors could result in additional costs or penalties, risks of operational delays or potential errors and control issues during the termination or transition phase. We may not be able to find an alternative vendor in a timely manner or on acceptable terms. If there is an interruption in business or loss of access to data resulting from a termination or transition, we may not be able to meet the demands of our customers and, in turn, our business and results of operations could be unfavorably impacted.

Acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactions involve risks and we may not realize the expected benefits because of integration difficulties, underperformance relative to our expectations and other challenges.

As part of our growth strategy, we regularly consider and enter into strategic transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, licenses and other relationships (collectively referred to as "transactions"), with the expectation that these transactions will result in various benefits. Our ability to achieve the anticipated benefits of these transactions is subject to numerous uncertainties and risks, including our ability to integrate operations, resources and systems in an efficient and effective manner. We could also face challenges in implementing business plans; changes in laws and regulations or conditions imposed by regulators applicable to the business; retaining key employees; and general competitive factors in the marketplace. These events could result in increased costs, decreases in expected revenues, earnings or cash flow, and goodwill or other intangible asset impairment charges. Further, we may finance transactions by issuing common stock for some or all of the purchase price, which could dilute the ownership interests of our shareholders, or by incurring additional debt that could impact our ability to access capital in the future.

In addition, effective internal controls are necessary to provide reliable and accurate financial reports and to mitigate the risk of fraud. The integration of businesses is likely to result in our systems and internal controls becoming increasingly complex and more difficult to manage. Any difficulties in assimilating businesses into our control system could cause us to fail to meet our financial reporting obligations. Ineffective internal controls also could cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, which could negatively impact the trading price of our stock and our access to capital.

Our business depends on our ability to effectively invest in, implement improvements to and properly maintain the uninterrupted operation and data integrity of our information technology and other business systems.

Our business is highly dependent on maintaining both effective information systems and the integrity and timeliness of the data we use to serve our customers and health care professionals and to operate our business. If our data were found to be inaccurate or unreliable due to fraud or other error, or if we or the third-party service providers were to fail to maintain information systems and data integrity effectively, we could experience operational disruptions that may impact our customers and health care professionals and hinder our ability to establish appropriate pricing for products and services, retain and attract customers, establish reserves and report financial results timely and accurately and maintain regulatory compliance, among other things.

Our information technology strategy and execution are critical to our continued success. Increasing regulatory and legislative mandated changes will place additional demands on our information technology infrastructure that could have a direct impact on available resources for projects more directly tied to strategic initiatives. We must continue to invest in long-term solutions that will enable us to anticipate customer needs and expectations, enhance the customer experience, act as a differentiator in the market and protect against cybersecurity risks and threats. Our success is dependent, in large part, on maintaining the effectiveness of existing technology systems and continuing to deliver and enhance technology systems that support our business processes in a cost-efficient and resource-efficient manner. We also must develop new systems to meet current market standards and keep pace with continuing changes in information processing technology, evolving industry and regulatory standards and customer needs. Failure to do so may impede our ability to deliver

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services at a competitive cost. Further, because system development projects are long-term in nature, they may be more costly than expected to complete and may not deliver the expected benefits upon completion.

In addition, our business is highly dependent upon our ability to perform, in an efficient and uninterrupted fashion, necessary business functions, such as claims processing and payment, internet support and customer call centers, and processing new and renewal business. Unavailability, cyber-attack or other failure of one or more of our information technology or other systems could cause slower response times, resulting in claims not being processed as quickly as clients or customers desire, decreased levels of client or customer service and satisfaction, and harm to our reputation. Because our information technology and other systems interface with and depend on third-party systems, we could experience service denials if demand for such service exceeds capacity or a third-party system fails or experiences an interruption. If sustained or repeated, such business interruptions, systems failures or service denials could have material adverse effects on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

We may be subject to cyber-attacks. If we are unable to prevent or contain the effects of any such attacks, we may suffer exposure to substantial liability, reputational harm, loss of revenue or other damages.

Our business depends on our clients' and customers' willingness to entrust us with their health-related and other sensitive personal information. Computer systems may be vulnerable to physical break-ins, computer viruses, programming errors, attacks by third parties or similar disruptive problems. As we increase the amount of personal information that we store and share digitally, our exposure to these data security and related cybersecurity risks increases, including the risk of undetected attacks, damage, loss or unauthorized disclosure or access, and the cost of attempting to protect against these risks also increases. We have implemented security technologies, processes and procedures to protect consumer identity; however, there are no assurances that such measures will be effective against all types of breaches.

Events that negatively affect that trust, including failing to keep our information technology systems and our clients' and customers' sensitive information secure from attack, damage, loss or unauthorized disclosure or access, whether as a result of our action or inaction or that of our business associates or vendors, could adversely affect our reputation, membership and revenues and also expose us to mandatory disclosure to the media, litigation and other enforcement proceedings, material fines, penalties and/or remediation costs, and compensatory, special, punitive and statutory damages, consent orders and other adverse actions, any of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or liquidity.

If we fail to comply with applicable privacy, security, and data laws, regulations and standards, our business and reputation could be materially and adversely affected.

The collection, maintenance, protection, use, transmission, disclosure and disposal of sensitive personal information are regulated at the federal, state, international and industry levels and requirements are imposed on us by contracts with customers. In some cases, such laws, rules and regulations also apply to our vendors and require us to obtain written assurances of their compliance with such requirements or may hold us liable for any violations by our vendors. International laws, rules and regulations governing the use and disclosure of such information are generally more stringent than in the United States, and they vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

These laws, rules and requirements are subject to change. Compliance with new privacy and security laws, regulations and requirements may result in increased operating costs, and may constrain or require us to alter our business model or operations. For example, the HITECH amendments to HIPAA may further restrict our ability to collect, disclose and use sensitive personal information and may impose additional compliance requirements on our business. While we have prepared for the transition to ICD-10, if unforeseen circumstances arise, it is possible that we could be exposed to investigations and allegations of noncompliance, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial position and cash flows. In addition, if some providers continue to use ICD-9 codes on claims after the final implementation date, we will have to reject such claims, leading to claim resubmissions, increased call volume and provider and customer dissatisfaction. Further, providers may use ICD-10 codes differently than they used ICD-9 codes in the past, potentially resulting in lost revenues under risk adjustment. During the transition to ICD-10, certain claims processing and payment information we have historically used to establish our reserves may not be reliable or available in a timely manner. If we do not adequately implement the new ICD-10 coding set, or if providers in our network do not adequately transition to the new ICD-10 coding set, our results of operations, financial position and cash flows may be materially adversely affected.

Effective prevention, detection and control systems are critical to maintain regulatory compliance and prevent fraud and failure of these systems could adversely affect us.

Federal and state governments have made investigating and prosecuting health care and other insurance fraud and abuse a priority. Fraud and abuse prohibitions encompass a wide range of activities, including kickbacks for referral of members, billing for unnecessary medical services, improper marketing, and violations of patient privacy rights. The regulations and contractual requirements applicable to us are complex and subject to change. In addition, ongoing vigorous law enforcement, a highly technical regulatory scheme and the Dodd-Frank Act legislation and related regulations being adopted to enhance regulators' enforcement powers and whistleblower incentives and protections mean that our compliance efforts in this area will continue to require significant resources.

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PART I
ITEM 1A. Risk Factors

Failure of our prevention, detection or control systems related to regulatory compliance or the failure of employees to comply with our internal policies, including data systems security or unethical conduct by managers and employees, could adversely affect our reputation and also expose us to litigation and other proceedings, fines and penalties.

In addition, provider or customer fraud that is not prevented or detected could impact our medical costs or those of our self-insured customers. Further, during an economic downturn, we may experience increased fraudulent claims volume that may lead to additional costs due to an increase in disputed claims and litigation.

Our pharmacy benefit management business and related operations are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are in addition to those we face in our health care business.

Notwithstanding our pharmacy benefits management services arrangement with a third-party vendor, we remain responsible to regulators and members for the delivery of pharmacy benefits. This business is subject to federal and state regulation, including federal and state anti-remuneration laws, ERISA, HIPAA and laws related to the operation of Internet and mail-service pharmacies. In addition, certain of our subsidiaries are pharmacies subject to state licensing and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency registration requirements and laws concerning labeling, packaging, advertising and adulteration of prescription drugs and dispensing of controlled substances. Noncompliance with such regulations by us or our third-party vendor could have material adverse effects on our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and reputation.

Our pharmacy benefit management business also would be adversely affected by an inability to contract on favorable terms with pharmaceutical manufacturers and we could suffer claims and reputational harm in connection with purported errors by mail order or retail pharmacy businesses.

In operating onsite clinics and other types of medical facilities, we may be subject to additional liability that could result in significant time and expense.

In addition to contracting with physicians and other health care providers for services, we employ physicians and other health care professionals at onsite low acuity and primary care clinics that we operate for our customers, as well as certain clinics for our employees. In addition, our Cigna-HealthSpring business operates LivingWell health centers and we own and operate multispecialty health care centers, low acuity clinics and other types of centers in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area that employ physicians and other health care professionals. As a direct employer of health care professionals and as an owner or operator of medical facilities, we are subject to liability for negligent acts, omissions, or injuries occurring at one of these clinics or caused by one of our employees. Even if any claims brought against us are unsuccessful or without merit, we still have to defend against such claims. The defense of any actions may result in significant expenses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

We face price competition and other pressures that could result in premiums that are insufficient to cover the cost of the health care services delivered to our members and inadequate medical claims reserves.

While health plans compete on the basis of many service and quality-related factors, we expect that price will continue to be a significant basis of competition. Our client and customer contracts are subject to negotiation as clients and customers seek to contain their costs, including by reducing benefits offered or elected. Alternatively, our clients and customers may purchase different types of products that are less profitable, or move to a competitor to obtain more favorable premiums. Each of these events would likely negatively impact our financial results.

Further, federal and state regulatory agencies may restrict our ability to implement changes in premium rates. For example, Health Care Reform includes an annual rate review requirement to prohibit unreasonable rate increases in the individual and small group health insurance markets. Fiscal concerns regarding the continued viability of programs such as Medicare may cause decreasing reimbursement rates, delays in premium payments or insufficient increases in reimbursement rates for government-sponsored programs in which we participate. Any limitation on our ability to maintain or increase our premium or reimbursement levels, or a significant loss of membership resulting from our need to increase or maintain premium or reimbursement levels, could adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations.

In addition, factors such as business consolidations, strategic alliances, legislation and marketing practices will likely continue to create pressure to contain or otherwise restrict premium price increases, despite increasing medical costs. For example, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act gives banks and other financial institutions the ability to be affiliated with insurance companies. This may lead to new competitors with significant financial resources. Our product margins and growth depend, in part, on our ability to compete effectively in our markets, set rates appropriately in highly competitive markets to keep or increase our market share, increase membership as planned, and avoid losing accounts with favorable medical cost experience while retaining or increasing membership in accounts with unfavorable medical cost experience.

Premiums in the health care business are generally set for one-year periods, based on our estimate of future health care costs over such period. Actual costs may exceed what we estimate and charge in premiums due to factors such as medical cost inflation, higher than expected utilization of medical services, new or costly treatments and technology, and membership mix. Our health care costs also are affected by external events that we cannot forecast or project and over which we have little or no control, such as influenza-related health care costs, epidemics, pandemics, terrorist attacks or other man-made disasters, natural disasters or other events that materially increase utilization of medical and/or other covered services, as well as changes in members' health care utilization patterns and provider billing practices. Our profitability depends, in part, on our ability to accurately predict and control future health care costs through

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ITEM 1A. Risk Factors

underwriting criteria, provider contracting, utilization management and product design.

We record medical claims reserves on our balance sheet for estimated future payments. While we continually review estimates of future payments relating to medical claims costs for services incurred in the current and prior periods and make adjustments to our reserves, the actual health care costs may exceed the reserves we have recorded.

Significant stock market or interest rate declines could result in additional unfunded pension obligations, resulting in the need for additional plan funding by us and increased pension expenses.

We currently have unfunded obligations in our frozen pension plans. A significant decline in the value of the plans' equity and fixed income investments or unfavorable changes in applicable laws or regulations could materially increase our expenses and change the timing and amount of required plan funding. This could reduce the cash available to us, including our subsidiaries. We also are exposed to interest rate and equity risk associated with our pension and other post-retirement obligations. Sustained declines in interest rates could have an adverse impact on the funded status of our pension plans and our reinvestment yield on new investments. See Note 9 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for more information on our obligations under the pension plan.

Significant changes in market interest rates affect the value of our financial instruments that promise a fixed return or benefit and the value of particular assets and liabilities.

As an insurer, we have substantial investment assets that support insurance and contractholder deposit liabilities. Generally low levels of interest rates on investments, such as those experienced in U.S. and foreign financial markets during recent years, have negatively impacted our level of investment income earned in recent periods.

Substantially all of our investment assets are in fixed interest-yielding debt securities of varying maturities, fixed redeemable preferred securities and commercial mortgage loans. The value of these investment assets can fluctuate significantly with changes in market conditions. A rise in interest rates would likely reduce the value of our investment portfolio and increase interest expense if we were to access our available lines of credit.

A downgrade in the financial strength ratings of our insurance subsidiaries could adversely affect new sales and retention of current business, and a downgrade in our debt ratings would increase the cost of borrowed funds and negatively affect our ability to access capital.

Financial strength, claims paying ability and debt ratings by recognized rating organizations are each important factors in establishing the competitive position of insurance and health benefits companies. Ratings information by nationally recognized ratings agencies is broadly disseminated and generally used throughout the industry. We believe that the claims paying ability and financial strength ratings of our principal insurance subsidiaries are important factors in marketing our products to certain customers. Our debt ratings impact both the cost and availability of future borrowings, and accordingly, our cost of capital. Each of the rating agencies reviews ratings periodically and there can be no assurance that current ratings will be maintained in the future. A downgrade of these ratings in the future could make it more difficult to either market our products successfully or raise capital to support business growth within our insurance subsidiaries.

Global market, economic and geopolitical conditions may cause fluctuations in equity market prices, interest rates and credit spreads that could impact our ability to raise or deploy capital and affect our overall liquidity.

If the equity and credit markets experience extreme volatility and disruption, there could be downward pressure on stock prices and credit capacity for certain issuers without regard to those issuers' underlying financial strength. Extreme disruption in the credit markets could adversely impact our availability and cost of credit in the future. In addition, unpredictable or unstable market conditions or continued pressure in the global or U.S. economy could result in reduced opportunities to find suitable opportunities to raise capital.

As of December 31, 2014, our outstanding long-term debt totaled $5.0 billion. In the event of adverse economic and industry conditions, we may be required to dedicate a greater percentage of our cash flow from operations to the payment of principal and interest on our debt, thereby reducing the funds we have available for other purposes, such as investments in ongoing businesses, acquisitions, dividends and stock repurchases. In these circumstances, our ability to execute our strategy may be limited, our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in business and market conditions may be reduced, or our access to capital markets may be limited such that additional capital may not be available or may be available only on unfavorable terms.

Unfavorable developments in economic conditions may adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Global economic conditions continue to be challenging. Many factors, including geopolitical issues, confidence in any economic recoveries and any future economic downturns, availability and cost of credit and other capital and consumer spending, can negatively impact expectations for the U.S. and global economies. Our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected by the impact of unfavorable economic conditions on our customers (both employers and individuals), health care providers and third-party vendors. For example:

•

Employers may take action to reduce their operating costs by modifying, delaying or canceling plans to purchase our products or making changes in the mix of products purchased that are unfavorable to us.

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PART I
ITEM 1A. Risk Factors

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Higher unemployment rates and workforce reductions could result in lower enrollment in our employer-based plans (including an increase in the number of employees who opt out of employer-based plans) or our individual plans.

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Because of unfavorable economic conditions or Health Care Reform, employers may stop offering health care coverage to employees or elect to offer this coverage on a voluntary, employee-funded basis as a means to reduce their operating costs.

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Our historical disability claim experience and industry data indicate that submitted disability claims rise under adverse economic conditions.

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If customers are not successful in generating sufficient profits or are precluded from securing financing, they may not be able to pay, or may delay payment of, accounts receivable that are owed to us.

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Our customers or potential customers may force us to compete more vigorously on factors such as price and service to retain or obtain their business.

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A prolonged unfavorable economic environment could adversely impact the financial position of hospitals and other health care providers, potentially increasing our medical costs as these providers attempt to maintain revenue levels in their efforts to adjust to their own economic challenges.

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Our third-party vendors could significantly and quickly increase their prices or reduce their output to reduce their operating costs. Our business depends on our ability to perform necessary business functions in an efficient and uninterrupted fashion.

These factors could lead to a decrease in our customer base, revenues or margins and/or an increase in our operating costs.

In addition, during a prolonged unfavorable economic environment, state and federal budgets could be materially and adversely affected, resulting in reduced reimbursements or payments in state and federal government programs, such as Medicare and Social Security. These state and federal budgetary pressures also could cause the government to impose new or a higher level of taxes or assessments on us, such as premium taxes on insurance companies and HMOs and surcharges or fees on select fee-for-service and capitated medical claims. Although we could attempt to mitigate or cover our exposure from such increased costs through, among other things, increases in premiums, there can be no assurance that we will be able to mitigate or cover all of such costs, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

We are subject to the credit risk of our reinsurers.

We enter into reinsurance arrangements with other insurance companies, primarily to limit losses from large exposures or to permit recovery of a portion of direct losses. We also may enter into reinsurance arrangements in connection with acquisition or divestiture transactions when the underwriting company is not being acquired or sold.

Under all reinsurance arrangements, reinsurers assume insured losses, subject to certain limitations or exceptions that may include a loss limit. These arrangements also subject us to various obligations, representations and warranties with the reinsurers. Reinsurance does not relieve us of liability as the originating insurer. We remain liable to the underlying policyholders if a reinsurer defaults on obligations under the reinsurance arrangement. Although we regularly evaluate the financial condition of reinsurers to minimize exposure to significant losses from reinsurer insolvencies, reinsurers may become financially unsound. If a reinsurer fails to meet its obligations under the reinsurance contract or if the liabilities exceed any applicable loss limit, we will be forced to cover the claims on the reinsured policies.

The collectability of amounts due from reinsurers is subject to uncertainty arising from a number of factors, including whether the insured losses meet the qualifying conditions of the reinsurance contract, whether reinsurers or their affiliates have the financial capacity and willingness to make payments under the terms of the reinsurance contract, and the magnitude and type of collateral supporting our reinsurance recoverable, such as by holding sufficient qualifying assets in trusts or letters of credit issued. Although a portion of our reinsurance exposures are secured, the inability to collect a material recovery from a reinsurer could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity.

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PART I
ITEM 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Our global real estate portfolio consists of approximately 8.3 million square feet of owned and leased properties. Our domestic portfolio has approximately 6.2 million square feet in 37 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Our International properties contain approximately 2.1 million square feet located throughout the following countries: Belgium, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Our principal, domestic office locations, including various support operations, along with Group Disability and Life Insurance, Health Services, Core Medical and Service Operations and the domestic office of our Global Supplemental Benefits business are the Wilde Building located at 900 Cottage Grove Road in Bloomfield, Connecticut (our corporate headquarters) and Two Liberty Place located at 1601 Chestnut Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Wilde Building measures approximately 833,000 square feet and is owned, while Two Liberty Place measures approximately 462,000 square feet and is leased office space.

We believe our properties are adequate and suitable for our business as presently conducted. The foregoing does not include information on investment properties.

The information contained under "Litigation Matters" in Note 23 to our Financial Statements beginning on page 114 of this Form 10-K, is incorporated herein by reference.

Not applicable.

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PART I
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

All officers are elected to serve for a one-year term or until their successors are elected. Principal occupations and employment during the past five years are listed below.

LISA R. BACUS, 50, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Cigna beginning May 2013; Executive Vice President and Chief Marketer at American Family Insurance from February 2008 until May 2013.

MARK L. BOXER, 55, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Information Officer of Cigna beginning April 2011; Deputy Chief Information Officer, Xerox Corporation; and Group President, Government Health Care, for Xerox Corporation/Affiliated Computer Services from March 2009 until April 2011.

DAVID M. CORDANI, 49, Chief Executive Officer of Cigna beginning December 2009; Director since October 2009; President beginning June 2008; and Chief Operating Officer from June 2008 until December 2009.

HERBERT A. FRITCH, 64, President, Cigna HealthSpring beginning January 2012; and Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of HealthSpring and its predecessor, NewQuest, LLC, from commencement of operations in September 2000 until HealthSpring was acquired by Cigna in January 2012.

NICOLE S. JONES, 44, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Cigna beginning June 2011; Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Lincoln Financial Group from May 2010 until June 2011; Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Cigna from April 2008 until May 2010; and Corporate Secretary of Cigna from September 2006 until April 2010.

THOMAS A. McCARTHY, 58, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Cigna beginning July 2013; Vice President of Finance with responsibility for treasury, tax, strategy and corporate development, and management of run-off reinsurance from February 2003 until July 2013; Acting Chief Financial Officer from September 2010 until June 2011, and Treasurer from July 2008 until June 2011.

MATTHEW G. MANDERS, 53, President, U.S. Commercial Markets and Global Health Care Operations beginning June 2014; President, Regional and Operations from November 2011 until June 2014; President, U.S. Service, Clinical and Specialty from January 2010 until November 2011; and President of Cigna HealthCare, Total Health, Productivity, Network & Middle Market from June 2009 until January 2010.

JOHN M. MURABITO, 56, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Services of Cigna beginning August 2003.

JASON D. SADLER, 46, President, International Markets beginning June 2014; President, Global Individual Health, Life and Accident from July 2010 until June 2014, and Managing Director Insurance Business Hong Kong, HSBC Insurance Asia Limited from January 2007 until July 2010.

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PART II
ITEM 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The information under the caption "Quarterly Financial Data – Stock and Dividend Data" appears on page 115 and the number of shareholders of record as of December 31, 2014 appears under the caption "Highlights" on page 31 of this Form 10-K. Cigna's common stock is listed with, and trades on, the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "CI".

The following table provides information about Cigna's share repurchase activity for the quarter ended December 31, 2014:

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PART II
ITEM 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Five Year Cumulative Total Shareholder Return*
December 31, 2009 – December 31, 2014

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PART II
ITEM 6. Selected Financial Data

The selected financial data should be read in conjunction with Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and the Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying notes included elsewhere herein.

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PART II
ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Index

Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A") is intended to provide information to assist you in better understanding and evaluating our financial condition and results of operations. We encourage you to read this MD&A in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and the "Risk Factors" contained in Part I Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K ("Form 10-K").

Unless otherwise indicated, financial information in the MD&A is presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding the Company's significant accounting policies. We measure the financial results of our segments using "segment earnings (loss)", defined as shareholders' net income (loss) before after-tax realized investment results. In this MD&A, we also present information using adjusted income from operations on both a consolidated and segment basis. Adjusted income (loss) from operations is another measure of profitability used by our management because it presents the underlying results of operations of our businesses and permits analysis of trends in underlying revenue, expenses and shareholders' net income. Adjusted income (loss) from operations is defined as segment earnings (loss) excluding special items (described in the table on page 36 of this Form 10-K) and results of the GMIB business. This measure is not determined in accordance with GAAP and should not be viewed as a substitute for the most directly comparable GAAP measures, which are shareholders' net income on a consolidated basis and segment earnings (loss) on a segment basis. We exclude special items because management does not believe they are representative of our underlying results of operations. We also exclude the results of the GMIB business because, prior to February 4, 2013, the changes in the fair value of GMIB assets and liabilities were volatile and unpredictable. In some of our financial tables in this MD&A, we present either percentage changes or "N/M" when those changes are so large as to become not meaningful, and changes in percentages are expressed in basis points ("bps").

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 strategy is to "Go Deep", "Go Global" and "Go Individual" with a differentiated set of medical, dental, disability, life and accident insurance and related products and services offered by our subsidiaries.

For further information on our business and strategy, please see Item 1, "Business" in this Form 10-K.

As explained in Note 22 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, effective with the first quarter of 2014, we began combining the results of our run-off reinsurance business with other immaterial operating segments in Other Operations for segment reporting purposes. Prior year segment information has been conformed to the current year presentation.

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PART II
ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

We present the financial results of our businesses in the following three reportable segments:

We present the remainder of our segment results in Other Operations, consisting of the corporate-owned life insurance business ("COLI"), run-off reinsurance and settlement annuity businesses and deferred gains associated with the sales of the individual life insurance and annuity and retirement benefits businesses.

The following is a summary of key transactions and other significant items since January 1, 2012 affecting period-to-period comparisons of our results.

Run-off Reinsurance Transaction.    Prior to February 4, 2013, our run-off reinsurance business had significant exposures, primarily from our guaranteed minimum death benefits ("GMDB" also known as "VADBe") and guaranteed minimum income benefits ("GMIB") businesses. Effective February 4, 2013, we entered into an agreement with Berkshire to reinsure future exposures for this business, net of existing retrocessional arrangements, up to a specified limit, for a payment of $2.2 billion. The reinsurance transaction aligned with our strategy of increasing financial flexibility by accomplishing an effective exit from the GMDB and GMIB businesses. As a result of this transaction, we recorded an after-tax charge of $507 million in the first quarter of 2013 that was reported as a special item. See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements and the Other Operations section of this MD&A for additional information.

Pharmacy Benefit Management ("PBM") Services Agreement.    In June 2013, we entered into a 10-year pharmacy benefit management services agreement with Catamaran Corporation. Under this agreement, we utilize their technology and service platforms, retail network contracting and claims processing services. In the second quarter of 2013, we recorded one-time transaction costs of $37 million pre-tax ($24 million after-tax) that were reported as a special item. This arrangement has produced a positive contribution to earnings in 2014 through improved clinical management, purchasing and administrative efficiencies.

Organizational Efficiency Plans.    We regularly evaluate ways to deliver our products and services more efficiently and at a lower cost. During 2013 and 2012, we adopted specific plans to increase our organizational efficiency, resulting in a charge of $60 million pre-tax ($40 million after-tax) in 2013 and $77 million pre-tax ($50 million after-tax in 2012. See Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

During the second quarter of 2013, we finalized an agreement with the Departments of Insurance for Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and California (together, the "monitoring states") related to our long-term disability claims handling practices. In connection with the terms of the agreement, the Company recorded a charge of $77 million before-tax ($51 million after-tax) in the first quarter of 2013. The charge was comprised of two elements: (1) $48 million of benefit costs and reserves from reassessed claims expected to be reopened, and (2) $29 million of additional costs for open claims as a result of the claims handling changes being implemented. This charge was reported in the Group Disability and Life segment. We are actively implementing the terms of the agreement and continue to communicate with the monitoring states on progress. If the monitoring states find material non-compliance

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PART II
ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

with the terms of the agreement upon re-examination, we may be subject to additional fines or penalties. In addition to the monitoring states, most other jurisdictions have joined the agreement as participating, non-monitoring states.

Health Care Reform and the implementing regulations have resulted in broad changes that are meaningfully impacting the industry, including relationships with customers and health care providers, the design of products and services, and pricing and delivery systems. In 2013, the industry saw government-prescribed reductions to Medicare reimbursement rates (i.e., sequestration), ongoing payment reductions for Medicare Advantage plans by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") and changes in requirements associated with operational and performance metrics used to determine Medicare Advantage payments and benefits. For 2014, there have been further changes resulting from Health Care Reform and the implementing regulations including public exchanges, a non-deductible industry tax in addition to fees and assessments, and minimum medical loss ratio requirements for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D plans. Collectively, these changes have had a significant impact on our business and customers, requiring adjustments to our business model to mitigate their effects on our results of operations and cash flows.

The "Regulation" section of this Form 10-K provides a detailed and up-to-date description of Health Care Reform provisions and other legislative initiatives that impact our domestic health care business, including regulations issued by CMS and the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services ("HHS"). The table presented below provides a summary of the financial impacts of key provisions of Health Care Reform in 2014 and beyond.

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ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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PART II
ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Summarized below are our results of operations on a GAAP basis.

A reconciliation of shareholders' net income to adjusted income from operations follows:

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PART II
ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

•

Revenues: The components of revenue changes are discussed further below:

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Premiums. The increase in 2014 compared with 2013 reflects premium growth in each of our ongoing reporting segments: Global Health Care, Global Supplemental Benefits and Group Disability and Life. These results are primarily attributable to rate increases to recover both medical cost trend and new taxes and fees assessed under Health Care Reform. Business growth in certain of our market segments and products, including U.S. commercial individual, stop loss and Medicaid also contributed to the increase. The increase in 2013 compared with 2012 was driven primarily by continued customer growth in targeted markets of all of the ongoing segments, and, to a lesser extent, acquisitions in late 2012 in the Global Supplemental Benefits segment.

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Fees and other revenues. The increase in 2014 compared with 2013 largely resulted from growth in specialty contributions, including pharmacy and cost containment. For 2013, the growth in fees and other revenues over 2012 was due to customer growth as well as increased specialty contributions. Fees and other revenues also included pre-tax losses of $39 million in 2013 and $119 million in 2012 attributable to the hedge program associated with the GMDB and GMIB businesses prior to the reinsurance transaction with Berkshire in 2013.

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Net investment income. In 2014, net investment income was flat compared with 2013, reflecting higher average investment assets offset by lower yields. The slight increase in 2013, compared with 2012, was primarily due to higher yields driven in part by higher partnership income, partially offset by lower average investment assets primarily due to sales of assets to fund the reinsurance transaction with Berkshire.

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Mail order pharmacy revenues. Increases in each of 2014 and 2013 compared with the prior year, primarily reflected higher prescription volume for specialty medications (injectibles) and price increases to recover pharmacy cost trend.

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Realized investment results. In 2014, realized investment results decreased compared with 2013, primarily due to significantly lower gains on sales of fixed maturities that were partially offset by a gain on the sale of an equity interest in 2014. The significant increase in 2013, compared with 2012, primarily resulted from gains on the sales of real estate joint ventures and higher gains on sales of fixed maturities. In the first quarter of 2013, we realized large gains on sales of fixed maturities primarily to fund the reinsurance transaction with Berkshire. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

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Global Health Care medical claims expense. See the Global Health Care section of this MD&A for further discussion.

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Other benefit expenses. The decrease in other benefit expenses in 2014 compared with 2013 resulted from the absence of the charges recorded in the first quarter of 2013 associated with the reinsurance agreement with Berkshire ($727 million pre-tax), partially offset by continued business growth in the Global Supplemental and Group Disability and Life segments. In 2013, the increase compared with 2012 reflected the charges recorded in the first quarter of 2013 associated with the reinsurance agreement with Berkshire and, to a lesser extent, continued business growth in the Global Supplemental and Group Disability and Life segments.

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Mail order pharmacy costs. The increases in both 2014 and 2013 are due to volume increases for specialty medications (injectibles) and higher unit costs.

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Other operating expenses. In 2014, the increase in other operating expenses over 2013 was largely driven by new taxes and fees assessed under Health Care Reform and business growth in all of our ongoing segments. The increase in 2013 compared with 2012 was due primarily to business growth in all of our ongoing segments. See the segment reporting section of this MD&A for additional discussion of operating expenses.

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Shareholders' net income. For 2014, the significant increase in shareholders' net income compared with 2013 is largely due to the absence of the $507 million after-tax charge associated with the reinsurance agreement with Berkshire recorded in the first quarter of 2013. The decrease in shareholders' net income in 2013, compared with 2012 was also driven by this after-tax charge, partially offset by an increase in adjusted income from operations.

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Adjusted income from operations. In 2014, the increase in adjusted income from operations compared with 2013 was largely driven by higher earnings in our ongoing business segments (Global Health Care, Global Supplemental Benefits, and Group Disability and Life), partially offset by higher taxes in Corporate related to Health Care Reform and the absence of favorable tax benefits recorded in the third quarter of 2013. The increase in adjusted income from operations in 2013 compared with 2012 was largely attributable to earnings growth in all of our ongoing business segments (Global Health Care, Global Supplemental Benefits, and Group Disability and Life). See the segment discussions later in this MD&A for further information.

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Consolidated effective tax rate. The increase in the consolidated effective tax rate in 2014, compared with 2013, was primarily driven by the non-deductible health insurance industry tax first assessed under Health Care Reform in 2014. The consolidated effective tax rate decreased in 2013, compared with 2012, primarily driven by favorable tax benefits reported in the third quarter of 2013. See Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

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Global medical customers (excluding limited benefits). We exited the limited benefits business in 2014 as required by Health Care Reform. Excluding limited benefits customers, our medical customer base increased in both 2014 and 2013 compared with comparable prior years, primarily driven by continued growth in our targeted market segments.

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    37

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Consolidated short-term investments decreased in 2014 compared with 2013 as a result of the Company reinvesting proceeds from maturities of short-term investments in longer-term holdings. The increase in short-term investments in 2013 compared with 2012 was driven by purchases of liquid commercial paper and United States Government obligations.

We maintain liquidity at two levels: the subsidiary level and the parent company level.

Liquidity requirements at the subsidiary level generally consist of:

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claim and benefit payments to policyholders; and

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operating expense requirements, primarily for employee compensation and benefits, information technology and real estate.

Our subsidiaries normally meet their operating requirements by:

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maintaining appropriate levels of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments;

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using cash flows from operating activities;

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selling investments;

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matching investment durations to those estimated for the related insurance and contractholder liabilities; and

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borrowing from the parent company.

Liquidity requirements at the parent company level generally consist of:

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debt service and dividend payments to shareholders; and

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pension plan funding.

The parent company normally meets its liquidity requirements by:

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maintaining appropriate levels of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments;

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collecting dividends from its subsidiaries;

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using proceeds from issuance of debt (including commercial paper) and equity securities; and

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borrowing from its subsidiaries.

Cash flows for the years ended December 31, were as follows:

Cash flows from operating activities consist of cash receipts and disbursements for premiums and fees, mail order pharmacy, other revenues, investment income, taxes, benefits and expenses, and, prior to February 4, 2013, gains and losses recognized in connection with our GMDB and GMIB equity hedge programs. Because certain income and expense transactions do not generate cash, and because cash transactions related to revenues and expenses may occur in periods different from when those revenues and expenses are recognized in shareholders' net income, cash flows from operating activities can be significantly different from shareholders' net income.

Cash flows from investing activities generally consist of net investment purchases or sales and net purchases of property and equipment including capitalized software, as well as cash used to acquire businesses.

Cash flows from financing activities are generally comprised of issuances and re-payment of debt at the parent company level, proceeds on the issuance of common stock resulting from stock option exercises, and stock repurchases. In addition, the subsidiaries report deposits to and withdrawals from investment contract liabilities (including universal life insurance liabilities) because such liabilities are considered financing activities with policyholders.

Operating activities

Cash flows from operating activities increased substantially in 2014 compared with 2013, primarily due to the absence of the 2013 reinsurance payments totaling $2.2 billion to Berkshire. Excluding those payments and tax benefits realized in connection with the Berkshire transaction, cash flows from operating activities in 2014 decreased by $0.6 billion, compared with 2013. This decrease was primarily related to the volume and timing of reimbursements prescribed by government programs.

​ 38    CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K

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Cash provided by operating activities declined by $1.6 billion in 2013 compared with 2012 primarily due to reinsurance payments totaling $2.2 billion made in 2013 to Berkshire.

Investing activities

Cash flows from investing activities decreased by $1.8 billion in 2014 compared with 2013, primarily due to higher net purchases of fixed maturities. In 2013, net purchases of fixed maturities were lower than 2014 primarily due to funding the Berkshire transaction. Cash flows from investing activities increased by $3.9 billion in 2013 compared with 2012 primarily driven by the absence of 2012 payments to acquire HealthSpring.

Financing activities

Cash used in financing activities increased in 2014 compared with the same period in 2013, primarily reflecting $0.6 billion in higher repurchases of common stock. Cash used in financing activities in 2013 increased by $0.7 billion compared with 2012 primarily due to higher repurchases of common stock.

Share repurchase

We maintain a share repurchase program that was authorized by our Board of Directors. The decision to repurchase shares depends on market conditions and alternate uses of capital. We have repurchased, and may continue to repurchase, shares on the open market through a Rule 10b5-1 plan that permits a company to repurchase its shares at times when it otherwise might be precluded from doing so under insider trading laws or because of self-imposed trading blackout periods. We suspend activity under this program from time to time and also remove such suspensions, generally without public announcement.

In 2014, we repurchased 18.5 million shares for $1.6 billion. From January 1, 2015 through February 25, 2015 we repurchased 1.9 million shares for $217 million. On February 25, 2015, the Company's Board of Directors increased share repurchase authority by $500 million. Accordingly, the total remaining share repurchase authorization as of February 25, 2015 was $966 million. In 2013, the Company repurchased 13.6 million shares for $1.0 billion and, in 2012, we repurchased 4.4 million shares for $208 million.

Interest expense on long-term debt, short-term debt and capital leases was as follows:

The weighted average interest rate for outstanding short-term debt (primarily commercial paper) was 0.27% at December 31, 2014 and 0.41% at December 31, 2013.

Our capital resources (primarily retained earnings and proceeds from the issuance of debt and equity securities) provide protection for policyholders, furnish the financial strength to underwrite insurance risks and facilitate continued business growth.

Management, guided by regulatory requirements and rating agency capital guidelines, determines the amount of capital resources that we maintain. Management allocates resources to new long-term business commitments when returns, considering the risks, look promising and when the resources available to support existing business are adequate.

We prioritize our use of capital resources to:

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provide the capital necessary to support growth and maintain or improve the financial strength ratings of subsidiaries;

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consider acquisitions that are strategically and economically advantageous; and

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return capital to investors through share repurchase.

The availability of capital resources will be impacted by equity and credit market conditions. Extreme volatility in credit or equity market conditions may reduce our ability to issue debt or equity securities.

At December 31, 2014, there was approximately $400 million in cash and short-term investments available at the parent company level. In 2015, the parent company's combined cash obligations are expected to be approximately $380 million to pay for commercial paper maturities, interest, dividends and required pension contributions.

We expect, based on the parent company's current cash position, current projections for subsidiary dividends, and the ability to refinance its commercial paper borrowing, to have sufficient liquidity to meet the obligations discussed above.

Our cash projections may not be realized and the demand for funds could exceed available cash if our ongoing businesses experience unexpected shortfalls in earnings, or we experience material adverse effects from one or more risks or uncertainties described more fully in the Risk Factors section of this Form 10-K. In those cases, we expect to have the flexibility to satisfy liquidity needs through a variety of measures, including intercompany borrowings and sales of liquid investments. The parent company may borrow up to $1.3 billion from its insurance subsidiaries without additional state approval. As of December 31, 2014, the parent company had approximately $165 million of net intercompany loans receivable from its insurance subsidiaries. Alternatively, to satisfy parent company liquidity requirements we may use short-term borrowings, such as the commercial paper program, the committed revolving credit and letter of credit agreement of up to $1.5 billion subject to the maximum debt leverage covenant in its line of credit agreement. As of December 31, 2014, $1.5 billion of short-term borrowing capacity under the credit

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    39

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PART II
ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

agreement was available to us. Within the maximum debt leverage covenant in the line of credit agreement, we have $6.5 billion of borrowing capacity in addition to the $5.2 billion of debt outstanding.

Though we believe we have adequate sources of liquidity, continued significant disruption or volatility in the capital and credit markets could affect our ability to access those markets for additional borrowings or increase costs associated with borrowing funds.

We maintain a capital management strategy to retain overseas a significant portion of the earnings from our foreign operations. These undistributed earnings are deployed outside of the U.S. in support of the liquidity and capital needs of our foreign operations. As of December 31, 2014 undistributed earnings were approximately $1.8 billion. Approximately $15 million of cash and cash equivalents held overseas would, if repatriated, be subject to a charge representing the difference between the U.S. and foreign tax rates. This strategy does not materially limit our ability to meet our liquidity and capital needs in the United States. Cash and cash equivalents in foreign operations are held primarily to meet local liquidity and surplus needs with excess funds generally invested in longer duration, high quality securities.

Unfunded Pension Plan Liability.    As of December 31, 2014, our unfunded pension liability was $1.1 billion, reflecting an increase of approximately $0.5 billion from December 31, 2013. The year over year increase in the unfunded liability reflected $0.6 billion in higher projected benefit obligations primarily as a result of a decrease of 75 basis points in the assumed discount rate, and changes to our mortality assumptions based on an updated pension mortality table. These impacts were partially offset by $0.1 billion in asset growth driven by pension contributions and strong asset returns. In 2015, we do not expect to make pension contributions in excess of the $5 million minimum required under the Pension Protection Act of 2006. See Note 9 for additional information regarding our pension plans.

Solvency II.    Our businesses in the European Union will be subject to the directive on insurance regulation, solvency and governance requirements known as Solvency II. This directive will impose economic risk-based solvency and governance requirements and supervisory rules and becomes effective in 2016, although certain EU country regulators are requiring companies to demonstrate technical capability and comply with increased capital levels in advance of this effective date. Our European insurance companies are capitalized at levels consistent with projected Solvency II requirements and in compliance with anticipated governance and technical capability requirements.

We are contingently liable for various contractual obligations entered into in the ordinary course of business. The maturities of our primary contractual cash obligations, as of December 31, 2014, are estimated to be as follows:

The expected future cash flows for GMDB and GMIB contracts included in the table above (within future policy benefits and other long-term liabilities) do not consider any of the related reinsurance arrangements.

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Insurance liabilities.  Contractual cash obligations for insurance liabilities, excluding unearned premiums, represent estimated net benefit payments for health, life and disability insurance policies and annuity contracts. Recorded contractholder deposit funds reflect current fund balances primarily from universal life customers. Contractual cash obligations for these universal life contracts are estimated by projecting future payments using assumptions for lapse, withdrawal and mortality. These projected future payments include estimated future interest crediting on current fund balances based on current investment yields less the estimated cost of insurance charges and mortality and administrative fees. Actual obligations in any single year will vary based on actual morbidity, mortality, lapse, withdrawal, investment and premium experience. The sum of the obligations presented above exceeds the corresponding insurance and contractholder liabilities of $20 billion recorded on the balance sheet because the recorded insurance liabilities reflect discounting for interest and the recorded

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ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

contractholder liabilities exclude future interest crediting, charges and fees. We manage our investment portfolios to generate cash flows needed to satisfy contractual obligations. Any shortfall from expected investment yields could result in increases to recorded reserves and adversely impact results of operations. The amounts associated with the sold retirement benefits and individual life insurance and annuity businesses, as well as the reinsured workers' compensation, personal accident and supplemental benefits businesses, are excluded from the table above as net cash flows associated with them are not expected to impact us. The total amount of these reinsured reserves excluded is approximately $5 billion.

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Short-term debt represents commercial paper, current maturities of long-term debt, and current obligations under capital leases.

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Long-term debt includes scheduled interest payments. Capital leases are included in long-term debt and represent obligations for IT network storage, servers and equipment.

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Other long-term liabilities.  This table includes estimated payments for GMIB contracts, pension and other postretirement and postemployment benefit obligations, supplemental and deferred compensation plans, interest rate and foreign currency swap contracts, and certain tax and reinsurance liabilities. These items are presented in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Estimated payments of $76 million for deferred compensation, non-qualified and international pension plans and other postretirement and postemployment benefit plans are expected to be paid in less than one year. Our best estimate is that contributions to the qualified domestic pension plans during 2015 will be approximately $5 million. We expect to make payments subsequent to 2015 for these obligations, however subsequent payments have been excluded from the table as their timing is based on plan assumptions that may materially differ from actual activities. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on pension and other postretirement benefit obligations.

The above table also does not contain $26 million of liabilities for uncertain tax positions because we cannot reasonably estimate the timing of their resolution with the respective taxing authorities. See Note 19 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 for further information.

Purchase obligations.    As of December 31, 2014, purchase obligations consisted of estimated payments required under contractual arrangements for future services and investment commitments as follows:

We had commitments to invest in limited liability entities that hold real estate, loans to real estate entities or securities. See Note 11(C) to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Our estimated future service commitments primarily represent contracts for certain outsourced business processes and IT maintenance and support. We generally have the ability to terminate these agreements, but do not anticipate doing so at this time. Purchase obligations exclude contracts that are cancelable without penalty and those that do not specify minimum levels of goods or services to be purchased.

Operating leases.    For additional information, see Note 21 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

We are contingently liable for various financial and other guarantees provided in the ordinary course of business. See Note 23 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information on guarantees.

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    41

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ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and related disclosures in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if:

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it requires assumptions to be made that were uncertain at the time the estimate was made; and

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changes in the estimate or different estimates that could have been selected could have a material effect on our consolidated results of operations or financial condition.

Management has discussed the development and selection of its critical accounting estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors and the Audit Committee has reviewed the disclosures presented below.

In addition to the estimates presented in the following table, there are other accounting estimates used in the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements, including estimates of liabilities for future policy benefits, as well as estimates with respect to unpaid claims and claim expenses, postemployment and postretirement benefits other than pensions, certain compensation accruals, and income taxes.

Management believes the current assumptions used to estimate amounts reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements are appropriate. However, if actual experience differs from the assumptions used in estimating amounts reflected in our Consolidated Financial Statements, the resulting changes could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated results of operations and, in certain situations, could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity and financial condition.

See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information on significant accounting policies.

​ 42    CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K

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ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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​ CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K    43

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ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

​ 44    CIGNA CORPORATION - 2014 Form 10-K

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PART II
ITEM 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following section of this MD&A discusses the results of each of our reporting segments. We measure the financial results of our segments using "segment earnings (loss)", defined as shareholders' net income (loss) before after-tax realized investment results. In the following segment discussions, we also present information using "adjusted income (loss) from operations", defined as segment earnings (loss) excluding special items and results of the GMIB business. Adjusted income (loss) from operations is another measure of profitability used by our management because it presents the underlying results of operations of our businesses and permits analysis of trends in underlying revenue, expenses and shareholders' net income. This measure is not