INScompanies Blog

Aetna introduces new health plans, greater plan choice for employees

DENVER, September 12, 2006 — Aetna (NYSE: ?ET) announced today a full scale return to the small business market in Colorado. Building upon its acquisition of HMS Healthcare, through which Aetna gained statewide network access, Aetna is introducing a wealth of new health plan options with lenient participation requirements, flexible pricing, and web-based information tools to help members understand health care quality and cost so that they can make wise and informed decisions as they spend their health care dollars.

“Aetna is a completely different company today than we were in 2001 when significant financial challenges caused us to bow out of the small group market in Colorado,” said Bill Berenson, Aetna’s Regional Head of Sales for the North Central Region. “Five years later Aetna’s new management has achieved one of the more remarkable turnarounds in recent history. Through discipline and hard work, we are in a position of strength to return. We appreciate the support we are receiving from local brokers and agents who are searching for new alternatives for their customers and have welcomed us back. We will prove that their trust is well-founded.”

“Aetna’s acquisition of the Sloan’s Lake physician network (part of HMS Healthcare) is but one visible sign of our commitment to the Colorado market,” added Jeff Miller, Aetna’s Colorado Market Head. “Another indication of just how competitive we intend to be lies in the fact we have recently hired three new sales executives for our Colorado office. Management will be Colorado-based as well in order to be easily accessible to our customers and brokers and provide a localized touch.”

Unique in the market, Aetna will introduce “Pick-a-Plan 3″ giving businesses with as few as 5 or more enrolled employees the opportunity to offer their employees three different Aetna health plans from which to choose. The loosened participation requirements will increase access and affordability for small business, and give employees a range of options so that they can select the one which best meets their families’ individual health needs and financial goals. Aetna is also introducing a “ValuePick” option which will loosen participation and contribution requirements for employers who choose one or more of Aetna’s Value Plans.

Aetna offers 13 health plans tailored specifically to small business, including two high deductible plans that are compatible with health savings accounts. In addition to consumer-directed plans, Aetna offers open access managed care plans, state-mandated value plans and traditional indemnity coverage. Aetna’s plans are designed for affordability and to give employees options as they consider how much to invest in monthly premiums versus out-of-pocket expenses. Annual deductibles for in-network care range from $500 a year to $3,000 a year depending on premium and benefit levels. Co-pays range from $15-$25 for a primary care office visit, and $25 to $40 for specialist visit. Annual premiums will vary depending on plan design. A three-tier pharmacy benefit is included on all medical plans, and members can save money on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs by using Aetna’s mail order pharmacy. Aetna offers both PPO and HMO dental plans. Life and disability coverage can be bundled together to give employers the convenience of a single bill, or purchased separately.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.9 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. Aetna.com

HARTFORD, Conn., August 25, 2006 — Aetna (NYSE: ?ET) announced that it has launched a Dental Plan Selection and Cost Estimator Tool to assist employees in choosing their dental plan during open enrollment by allowing them to compare Aetna and non-Aetna dental plans. This interactive decision-support tool allows employees to estimate their out-of-pocket dental care costs, compare dental plans and determine which plan best meets their needs and those of their families.

Features of the dental plan selection tool include:
Access to costs for up to five Aetna dental plans
Employee out-of-pocket costs, co-insurance and anticipated employer costs
A tool that allows members to select dental procedures they anticipate having performed when selecting their dental plans
The ability to select the number of family members who need coverage and the level of care they need
Access to Aetna’s glossary of dental procedures
Comparison of plans with a non-Aetna Plan
Compare Plans with a non-Aetna Plan
A unique feature of The Dental Plan Selection and Cost Estimator Tool allows larger employers who offer a choice of different dental plans to conduct a side by side comparison of Aetna plans to a non-Aetna plan. This feature is particularly beneficial to family members who have another insurer and would like to compare their plan with Aetna’s. The results will compare estimated costs of dental care services as well as a cost breakdown of the amount paid by the employee and the Dental Plan.

“We believe this tool is another value-add service to our plan sponsors and members,” said Dana Benbow, head of products and services for Aetna Dental. “We want members to know how to make the best possible benefit decisions by understanding the cost of health and dental care services under various dental plan options. The Dental Plan Selection and Cost Estimator tool provides information to help them accomplish that.”

Tools for an Informed Decision
By entering basic information including their zip code, family members who will be covered and the extent of dental care each family member requires, the dental tool will produce a list of services that the family may need and the out-of-network cost for each service, with an option to modify that list as necessary. The tool also illustrates the costs for the employee, in and out of network as well as the employer costs.

In 2004, Aetna rolled out the Cost of Care Estimator for dental procedures. This interactive decision-support tool enables members to learn the estimated cost of common dental procedures in their area before the services are performed. Aetna’s Dental Plan Selection and Cost Estimator tool enhances this capability and also builds upon the Plan Selection tool available to plan sponsors to assist employees in choosing their Aetna dental plan.

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.9 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. Aetna.com

First insurer to provide physician-specific price and quality info applauds federal government focus on becoming an active partner in health care transparency
HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 22, 2006 — Aetna (NYSE: ?ET) today announced its support for the executive order on health care transparency signed by President Bush. The executive order, aimed at creating value-based competition in health care, focuses on the use of information technology standards, the need for quality standards developed by the medical community, the sharing of aggregate data on the episodic price of care, and the creation of incentives to measure and promote overall quality in care. The President is asking federal government agencies, state governments, large unions and Fortune 100 companies to commit to these goals in purchasing health care for their employees and members.

“Aetna applauds the President for his commitment to creating value-based competition in health care, which in turn will strengthen the marketplace for health care consumerism,” said Aetna CEO and President Ronald A. Williams. “If adopted by all parties the President’s order could positively impact the cost and quality of care provided to Americans.

“Aetna is an early adopter of much of what the President is proposing. We were the first insurer to enable our members to research physician-specific pricing before visiting their physician, and just this week we expanded that program to new markets and added details on clinical quality and efficiency,” said Williams. “We also are developing a national program that rewards physicians for providing quality, cost-effective care to Aetna members.

“We have been sharing our experiences with the White House and Congress to help them form policy on these issues,” added Williams. “We look forward to further partnering with the government, our customers and the medical community to develop innovative ways for all Americans to achieve their optimal health.”

As announced in June, Aetna is helping its members make informed health care decisions by providing online access to transparent price and quality information for participating physicians in select markets including:

Price, clinical quality and efficiency information for physicians in Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; Northern Virginia; Maryland; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Springfield, Ohio; Northern Kentucky; Southeast Indiana; and South Florida.
Price information only for physicians in Kansas City, Kan. and Mo.; Las Vegas, Nev.; and Pittsburgh, Pa.
Aetna launched price transparency in August 2005 in the greater Cincinnati area, providing its members with the ability to research physician-specific pricing before receiving a service at the doctor’s office. The enhanced combination of physician-specific cost, clinical quality and efficiency information is another first from a national health insurer. The enhanced information is now available to Aetna members at www.aetna.com.

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.9 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. Aetna.com