Aetna Introduces New Health Insurance Options For Individuals And Their Families In Colorado
DENVER, January 3, 2007 — Aetna (NYSE: ΑET) announced today that it is selling health plans for individuals and their families throughout the state of Colorado. With the new Aetna Advantage Plans for Individuals and Families, consumers will be able to purchase health insurance directly from Aetna or through independent insurance agents or brokers. The plans offer affordable, comprehensive health coverage for a broad array of commonly used health care services, and provide online information tools to help consumers make informed health care decisions and lead healthy lifestyles. The plans also include special membership rates at fitness clubs and discounts on fitness equipment, nutritional supplements and alternative therapies, including visits to chiropractors, massage therapists and nutritional counselors.
Individuals may choose from among five standard Managed Choice® plans (PPO-type plans), two high-deductible health plans compatible with health savings accounts, two hospital plans and an optional dental PPO plan. Each Aetna Advantage Plan is also available on a child-only basis, so that parents can obtain health coverage for their children, even if no other family members enroll in the plan.
"More than 768,000 people in Colorado are uninsured -- that’s 17 percent of the state’s population,"1 said Jeff Miller, Aetna’s market head in Colorado. "Aetna is looking to increase health care access and affordability for those living and working throughout the state. Offering health plans for individuals, along with the coverage options for part-time and seasonal workers Aetna offers through employers, could be part of the solution. With our statewide network, successful return to the small business market, and consumer education tools and additional services, we felt the time was right to bring our individual plans into the state."
According to Laurie Brubaker, head of Aetna Individual Markets, "People’s changing priorities and life circumstances determine the type of health care coverage they need. We designed the Aetna Advantage Plans to address the unique needs that arise during particular stages in life such as graduating from college, getting married, raising a family, becoming a sole proprietor of a business, being between jobs or retiring early. Individuals can log on to Aetna’s website, choose the health insurance plans that best fit their current health care needs, receive price quotes and apply online."
Standard Managed Choice Plans Offer Flexibility and Convenience
Aetna is offering individuals and their families five standard Managed Choice plan designs. These plans offer members the freedom to go directly to any doctor, hospital or health care professional, including specialists, for covered services with no referrals required. If a member chooses a health care professional from Aetna’s extensive network of participating physicians and hospitals, out-of-pocket costs will be lower. The plans require no deductibles or claim forms for in-network doctor office visits.
All standard Managed Choice plans feature coverage for routine checkups and preventive care, specialty care, hospitalization and surgery, diagnostic testing and emergency care, subject to applicable copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. The plans also include prescription drug coverage, subject to deductibles and copayments, with no deductibles for generic prescriptions.
HSA-Compatible Plans, Hospital Plans and Dental Plan Available
Aetna is offering two high-deductible Managed Choice plans that are compatible with the Aetna HealthFund® Health Savings Account (HSA). These plans offer members lower premiums in exchange for higher annual deductibles, along with the advantage of an HSA. HSAs are tax-advantaged accounts used to pay for qualified medical expenses. HSA contributions are tax deductible and earn interest tax free. HSAs are portable, and unused balances can be carried forward from year to year, allowing consumers to plan and save for future health care expenses.
For those individuals on limited budgets who are able to purchase only the essentials, Aetna offers two "hospital" plans, which provide members with lower priced coverage for basic health care services. These plans provide limited coverage for preventive care — including gynecological, well-child care and physical exams — as well as inpatient hospital coverage coupled with limited benefits for outpatient surgery, skilled nursing or home health care services.
Members have the option to enroll in the Aetna Advantage™ Dental PPO Max Plan at the time of their medical election. The Dental PPO Max Plan allows members to receive quality dental care from participating dentists and nonparticipating dentists. Participating dentists have agreed to provide services at a negotiated rate for both covered services as well as noncovered services such as cosmetic tooth whitening and orthodontic care. This means members generally pay lower out-of-pocket costs.
Additional Services
In addition to plan benefits, through the Vision One® discount program,2 Fitness Program and Aetna Natural Products and Services ProgramSM, members may access discounted rates from certain providers for products and services available to the general public. The Vision One program offers special member discounts on eye care products and services at participating optical centers. The Fitness Program provides special membership rates at participating fitness clubs contracted with Global Fit3 and discounts on certain equipment. The Aetna Natural Products and Services Program offers reduced rates on alternative therapies for members, including visits to chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritional counselors and massage therapists. Members can also save on over-the-counter vitamins and nutritional supplements through the Vitamin Advantage™ program.
In addition to Colorado, Aetna Advantage Plans are currently being sold directly to consumers or through independent insurance agents and brokers in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Additional information about Aetna’s plans for individuals and their families is available at
www.aetna.com/members/individuals/ or by calling 1-800-MY-HEALTH or your insurance agent.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.8 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 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. www.aetna.com
1Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates based on the Census Bureau’s March 2005 and 2006 Current Population Survey,
www.statehealthfacts.org. Accessed December 6, 2006.
2Vision One is a registered trademark of Cole Vision Corporation.
3Global Fit is a trademark of Global Affiliates, Inc.
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