Aetna Introduces New Health Insurance Plans for Individuals and Their Families in Arkansas

Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced today that it has begun selling health plans for individuals and their families throughout the state of Arkansas. The new Aetna Advantage Plans for Individuals and Families will be effective February 1, and consumers will be able to purchase health insurance directly from Aetna or through independent insurance agents or brokers. Individuals may choose from among six medical plans, including PPO-style plans; high-deductible health plans compatible with health savings accounts; preventive and hospital plans that combine coverage for preventive care with catastrophic coverage for services like inpatient hospital care and outpatient surgery; 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 500,000 people in Arkansas are uninsured – that’s 18 percent of Arkansas’ population,”1 said Gary Thomas, Southeast Region general manager for Aetna’s Consumer Segment. "Aetna is committed to helping uninsured and under-served residents find high-quality, affordable health care options. In fact, 35 percent of the Aetna Advantage Plans that we sell are to individuals who were previously uninsured.” With these plans, members will have access to health care throughout the state, as Aetna currently has more than 4,800 health care providers in its network in Arkansas. Meeting Different Needs Individuals purchasing health insurance on their own have a wide range of needs and preferences, which is why Aetna offers a variety of health plans to accommodate individuals’ different life circumstances. "People’s changing priorities determine the type of health care coverage they need,” Thomas said. "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, Thomas added. Online Tools and Services Aside from offering affordable, comprehensive health coverage for a broad array of health care services, Aetna also provides members with online information tools to help them make informed health care decisions and lead healthy lifestyles, including Aetna’s CareEngine®-powered Personal Health Record. While many individuals have their various medical records stored away in filing cabinets and shoe boxes, Aetna’s Personal Health Record provides one secure, easily accessible online location -- Aetna Navigator®, Aetna’s password-protected member website -- for the personal health information of members. Access to the information is available round the clock anywhere an Internet connection is available. The complete Personal Health Record – or portions of it -- can be printed and shared directly with physicians and other health care professionals. In addition, members can print a wallet-sized Emergency Information Card that contains important information such as name, date of birth, blood type, emergency contacts, current allergies and medications, and physician and insurance information. In addition to Arkansas, Aetna Advantage Plans are currently being sold directly to consumers or through independent insurance agents and brokers in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming and Washington, D.C. Additional information about Aetna’s plans for individuals and their families is available at www.AetnaIndividual.com or by calling 1-800-MY-HEALTH (1-800-694-3258) or your insurance agent. About Aetna Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.4 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, government-sponsored plans and expatriates. www.aetna.com 1Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates based on the Census Bureau’s March 2006 and 2007 Current Population Survey, www.statehealthfacts.org. Accessed January 24, 2008.