Aetna statement on call for boycott

Aetna has openly acknowledged its history of slave polices

• Aetna has acknowledged that it had written life insurance policies on slaves more than 140 years ago. We published a book of our history in 1956, as part of our centennial observance, which included examples of these policies. From our research and archives, we have found evidence of 24 lives being covered.
• Six years ago, we forthrightly and publicly acknowledged it again, when Ms. Farmer-Paellmann inquired, and apologized for our role in an awful period in this country's history.
• Ms. Farmer-Paellmann's lawsuit, which seeks reparations from at least 15 corporations for their actions or actions of related companies more than a century ago, has already been dismissed by the U.S. District Court.

A boycott is divisive 

• This boycott is divisive activity and misses the substance of the important work that Aetna has done for years to make positive change in the African-American community. The boycott press release says it supports a resolution passed by Blacks in Government (BIG) last summer, yet it is our understanding that the organization does not support a boycott. Aetna has enjoyed a positive relationship with BIG including sponsorship of national training conferences for the past three years and other regional chapter activities. We will continue meaningful dialogue and collaboration with BIG.

Our work to improve health care for African Americans is showing positive results 

• As a health care insurance company, what Aetna can and has done to contribute positively to the needs of African Americans is to make sincere and aggressive efforts to lead the charge on addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health care and health status through both financial investments and through programs to promote better health care.
• Aetna was the groundbreaking leader in the effort to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. In 2002 Aetna was the first national health benefits company to launch an integrated strategy to improve the quality of care for racial and ethnic minorities. This initiative includes voluntary data collection of race, ethnicity and language-preference data from our members, which has allowed us to create more culturally focused information and disease management and wellness programs; identify disparities; support and encourage new research; and test new approaches to reducing disparities in health care.
  • This has already yielded some early positive results. The yearly mammography screening rate has doubled for African-American and Hispanic members since Aetna's Breast Health outreach reminder program began.
  • Through Aetna's Beginning Right^SM maternity program, we offer services that help prevent preterm labor for African-American women. Among self-identified African-American women enrolled in this program, those who accepted preterm labor education and prevention services tended to have more full-term deliveries than those who declined these services.
• Aetna has also been participating with the offices of Senators Frist, Kennedy, Obama and Bingaman in advancing legislation (S 4024) that seeks to reduce disparities in health care. We are the only health insurer actively involved in shaping and advancing the bill.
• We believe that, of all insurance companies, Aetna has the strongest record of supporting the African-American community. There are numerous examples.

Aetna invests in, and collaborates with, the African-American community 

• We're also a strong supporter of minority investment programs and community initiatives. In fact, Aetna's support of these programs has totaled about $1 million per year over the past 26 years in areas such as education, health, economic development, community partnerships and minority-owned business initiatives. Since 2000 alone, we've contributed more than $5 million.
• This year, we also committed $50 million in investments in minority- and women-owned businesses.
• We're a promoter of outstanding contributions in the African-American community. Since 1982, Aetna has published yearly calendars that feature monthly profiles of African-American leaders and significant historic events.
• Aetna has affiliations and partnerships with numerous African-American groups, including 100 Black Men of America; Congressional Black Caucus; Three Doctors Foundation; and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. We are also active in national organizations that foster supplier diversity, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and we're a charter member of the Conference Board's Council on Supplier Diversity.

Aetna is making a positive difference, and others agree 

• The sum total of our efforts - voluntary health initiatives, contributions and investments that we've made for decades - shows that Aetna has done all of because we have a true commitment and desire to make a positive difference.
• We've been recognized by numerous organizations and media for our work, including The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) who awarded Aetna with its "Recognizing Innovation in Multicultural Health Care Award;" Black Enterprise magazine who named Aetna to its 2006 list of best companies for diversity, the only national health plan to receive this recognition, and, separately, our CEO as corporate executive of the year; Fortune magazine who named us a top 50 employer for minorities in 2005. More awards are listed on our website.