HARTFORD, Conn., November 11, 2008 — The National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) recognized Aetna (NYSE: AET) yesterday with an eValue8^TM Innovation Award for the Aetna Integrated Health Solution® program at their annual conference. The program helps control health care and disability costs that are often difficult to measure -- disability, absenteeism and lost productivity -- and provides employers with the tools to build a healthy, engaged and highly productive workforce.

Aetna's award-winning program, part of the Aetna Health Connections suite of programs and services that enable health and wellness solutions, is available to mid-size and larger customers who offer medical and disability coverage. By integrating clinical and system capabilities across products, Aetna care management professionals can work together to provide health and wellness services tailored to specific conditions. IHS combines a set of products and services including:

• Medical, including Pharmacy and Behavioral Health
• Long-Term and/or Short-Term Disability
• Disease Management
• Wellness Programs and Counseling

"The Aetna Integrated Health Solution program is an integral part of Aetna's efforts to create programs that approach members holistically and bring together what has traditionally been fragmented components of the health care system," said Laurie Brubaker, Head of Integrated Health and Productivity Solutions. "We are honored to receive this award in recognition of the results we are demonstrating for our customers and members." 

The program has shown:

• Improved employee Health Risk Assessment (HRA) participation and program engagement:
  o HRA participation and completion for customers whose employees are part of the Aetna Integrated Health Solution program is more than triple that of the customers who have purchased Simple Steps to a Healthier Life® alone (37 percent vs. 10 percent).
  o Participation in the HRA and engagement in subsequent programs have contributed to healthy behavior and health risk improvements. For IHS members with above normal blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar readings, up to 43 percent of the member's risk factors improved by the end of the study period.
  
• Positive changes in health risk status are beginning to make small but measurable impacts on employee productivity:
  o Members who reduced one or more of the following lifestyle risks had lower average presenteeism scores in the update period: high fat in diet, low fruit/vegetables in diet, inadequate exercise, unhealthy weight, tobacco use, problems with stress and overdue preventive health screening.
  o Members who reduced their high blood pressure risk have lower average presenteeism scores at update, and presenteeism scores were kept in check for members who reduced their high cholesterol risk.

Approximately 70 plans applied for the awards as part of information submitted on "Best Practices and Innovations" in NBCH's 2008 eValue8 submission tool, an annual evaluation of health plans used by employers and business coalitions. The program information was reviewed by a selection committee of eValue8 reviewers. Based on creativity, effectiveness and replicability, the submissions were narrowed down to 11 finalists, with Aetna being among four final winners.

NBCH is a national, non-profit, membership organization of 60 business and health coalitions, representing over 7,000 employers and 34 million employees and their dependents across the United States. NBCH and its members are dedicated to value based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers.  eValue8^TM is a product of the National Business Coalition on Health and is the nation's leading evidence-based request for information (RFI) tool used by coalitions and major employers to assess and manage the quality of their health care vendors.

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 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 and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. www.aetna.com