Included in this issue:

North Central Regional News

Highlights

February 2008

AETNA IN DEPTH
Here's a special in-depth look at an important industry topic …

Status report on consumer-directed health care: Where it is today, where it's going next…

While consumer-directed health care is no longer a "new" concept, it continues to grow and evolve as it encourages the spread of consumerism to all aspects of the health care market.

Now is a good time to step back and see how far this innovation has come and to consider its next steps.

HRA and HSA products 2006 study results

We continue to see the positive impact of consumerism, including lower annualized medical cost trends, maintained levels of care for preventive and chronic conditions and increased generic pharmacy use.

Users say Aetna tool helped with 2008 benefits choices

In its first months of usage, the latest enhancement in the Plan Selection & Cost Estimator has received positive feedback from customers and employees. In a consumer survey, 80 percent found this latest enhancement valuable and 85 percent found it understandable.

Full accreditation for Aetna's PPO commercial products

NCQA (National Committee for Quality Assurance) has granted Aetna full accreditation for PPO commercial products nationally - making us the first to receive such accreditation. The accreditation will apply to Aetna health plan members in all 50 states - nearly 10 million members.

New drug classes added to Save a Copay^® program

Two new drug classes, Sedative/Hypnotics and Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs), have been added to the Save a Copay targeted drug list. (See chart.)

Middle Market: more retail stores accepting Aetna FSA debit card

Beginning this year, even more retail stores are accepting FSA debit cards to make it easier for members to purchase qualified over-the-counter items. Several well-known supermarkets, discount chains, pharmacies and some wholesale clubs - such as Target, Wal-Mart, CVS pharmacy, SuperFresh and Sam's Club - are now included in the expanded network of retail outlets. Note: The Aetna FSA Debit Card is designed for and available to our participating plan sponsors with 300-plus employees.

What is a flexible spending account?

Tools for tackling childhood obesity - available to plan sponsors and members at no cost

Childhood obesity is on the rise and represents significant costs to the health care system and employers. The Aetna Employee Resource Library offers information and tools to help Middle Market plan sponsors help their employees and their families address this problem. Employers and their employees probably don't know…

Limited benefits plans can help grow your business
Learn more about SRC, An Aetna Company

As interest in limited benefits insurance plans grows, Aetna has a solution for you and your clients. Strategic Resource Company (SRC) is one of the largest and most experienced providers of limited benefits insurance plans. SRC offers the Aetna Affordable Health Choices^® limited benefits insurance plan. This plan can help employees and their families with their basic health care needs and healthy employees may be more dedicated and productive.

The plan is available to full-time employees not covered by a major medical plan, full-time in a waiting period, as well as hourly, part-time and seasonal employees. These employees often work in retail, food service, staffing, hospitality, security, health care, education and manufacturing. We want to help you identify uninsured populations among your existing Middle Market clients and other employers (with 51 or more full-time employees) that do not currently offer a medical plan.

Record growth in Colorado

The Colorado office extends sincere thanks to our producers for helping us exceed our membership goals in 2007.

North Central Region staffing changes

North Central Region network changes

We are pleased to announce the following network changes in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio. These changes offer Aetna members improved access to care through the addition of various hospital facilities and physicians groups. For additional details, please contact your Aetna account executive.

North Central Small Group updates

We are pleased to announce that Aetna Small Group account executive Lauren Hach-Wilkins will now be servicing the Cleveland, OH Market

We are pleased to announce that Aetna Small Group account executive Sara Dean will now be servicing the Columbus, OH Market

New psychiatric disability service

Aetna Behavioral Health receives full three-year MBHO accreditation

Magic Johnson video

Enhanced member messaging: preventive care considerations for AHC-DM, Personal Health Record and stand-alone MedQuery^® with member messaging

We have enhanced our member message offerings with preventive (wellness) care considerations (PCCs). Currently offered at no additional charge to plan sponsors with Aetna Health Connections^SM disease management (AHC-DM), Aetna's Personal Health Record (PHR) or stand-alone MedQuery with Member Messaging (MQ w/MM), PCCs are sent to members who need - but, according to our claims records, have not yet received - necessary vaccinations, preventive exams and screenings.

The CareEngine^® generates preventive/wellness alerts only when available information reveals lack of compliance with a clinical risk, condition or demographic-related recommendation for preventive care.

See new brochure - Aetna Dental® value-added programs.

Aetna Behavioral Health launches new psychiatric disability service

The Aetna Behavioral Health Psychiatric Disability service is now available. The service, targeted to Key Accounts (301-3,000 eligible lives), is designed to provide clinical review and certification recommendation and to extend claims management resources to ABH customers who do not currently offer Aetna Short Term Disability products. For more information contact your Aetna account executive.

New clinical policy for anesthesia services for GI endoscopy

We have developed a new policy for the types of anesthesia covered during routine upper and lower endoscopic gastrointestinal (GI) procedures. Our purpose is to align with the existing clinical evidence base and a policy statement issued jointly by the top three gastroenterological societies in America.

Effective April 1, 2008 - for patients at average risk or with no sedation-related risk factors - we will no longer cover monitored anesthesia care (MAC) for routine upper and lower endoscopic procedures, such as colonoscopy. We will continue to cover conscious sedation for these procedures. (Conscious, or moderate, sedation is used by the majority of gastroenterologists and colorectal surgeons in this country during colonoscopies and upper endoscopies.) We will cover monitored anesthesia care (MAC) for those who have sedation-related risk factors like illness or other medical conditions. For more information contact your Aetna account executive.

Read: Self-funded plan sponsor letter

Read: Fully insured plan sponsor letter

Aetna Behavioral Health receives full three-year MBHO accreditation for quality from NCQA

Our Behavioral Health program has received the highest possible rating a managed behavioral health organization can receive from the nation's leading provider of independent quality assessments. Aetna received a "Full" Managed Behavioral Health Organization (MBHO) Accreditation rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The accreditation applies to the nearly 13 million Aetna members enrolled in behavioral health programs throughout the country.

URAC names Aetna as a finalist in first-ever Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards

Aetna celebrates 27 years of publishing African American History Calendars

We have released our 2008 African American History Calendar. This year's title and theme is "Health Literacy: A Healthy Dose of Understanding."

Health literacy is defined by the American Medical Association as "the ability to read, understand and use health information to make appropriate health care decisions and to follow instructions for treatment". That definition may sound simple, but studies show that nearly half of all American adults (more than 90 million people) have difficulty understanding and using health information. Raising awareness with this calendar is one step Aetna is taking to address this problem. For more information, contact your Aetna account executive.

Aetna and Magic Johnson team up. See Johnson and Aetna Chairman and CEO Ron Williams in Fox Business Network Video

Prescription antihistamine ZYRTEC® will no longer be covered under Aetna's standard pharmacy benefits plans

Please note: Participating physicians and hospitals are independent contractors in private practice and are neither employees nor agents of Aetna or its affiliates. The availability of any particular physician or hospital cannot be guaranteed, and network composition is subject to change without notice.

This information is provided for brokers only.

This material is for informational purposes only. It contains only a partial, general description of plan or program benefits. Plans and programs may not be available in all service areas.

Aetna is the brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of the Aetna group of subsidiary companies. Those companies include: Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of the Carolinas Inc., Aetna Health of Illinois Inc., Aetna Health Insurance Company of New York, Aetna Health Insurance Company and/or Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna). In MD, by Aetna Health Inc., 151 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06156.

Material in Aetna Broker and Consultant e.Briefing does not constitute a contract or legal advice.

151 Farmington Avenue, Hartford, CT 06156.