Aetna Signs New Agreement with the Washington Hospital

Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced that it has reached agreement with The Washington Hospital on a contract that adds a new hospital and potentially as many as 200 new physicians to Aetna’s provider network in western Pennsylvania.

Under the agreement, The Washington Hospital and its satellite locations, including the Urgent Care Center Affiliated with The Washington Hospital, will provide covered benefits, at in-network rates, to Aetna members in the Pittsburgh area. Aetna also has contracted separately with the Washington Physician Hospital Organization (WPHO), which could add nearly 200 participating physicians to its network.

"We’re very excited to add The Washington Hospital and its physicians to the Aetna network,” said Brian McGarry, Aetna’s president of National Accounts for Pennsylvania. "We work hard to provide our members with plans that strike the proper balance between access and affordable cost.”

"We have received many requests in recent months from Aetna’s commercial and Medicare members in Washington and Greene Counties, asking us to join the Aetna network. We are pleased that The Washington Hospital and WPHO participating primary care and specialist physicians can now serve these residents of our community,” said Charles R. Vargo, executive director of WPHO.

Aetna provides and administers health benefits to more than 1 million members in Pennsylvania. In Western Pennsylvania, members have access to a contracted network of 82 hospitals, and 8,847 primary care physicians and specialists.

About The Washington Hospital

The Washington Hospital is a voluntary, not-for-profit community hospital serving Washington, Pa. and its surrounding communities since 1897. Located in Washington with multiple outpatient sites throughout Washington and Greene counties, the hospital has 260 beds in addition to a 16-bassinet nursery and an eight-bed residential hospice. The hospital’s medical staff includes more than 350 primary care and specialty physicians providing a full range of medical and surgical care.

The hospital offers a full range of services, including the Heart, Lung and Vascular Center, Center for Orthopedics and Neurosciences, women’s health care, 24-hour emergency care, medical/surgical care, critical care, comprehensive hospice care and outpatient diagnostic and treatment services. Specialty services include the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center, the region’s premier medical fitness facility; the Wound and Skin Healing Center, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy; the UPMC and The Washington Hospital Cancer Center; Strabane Woods of Washington, an assisted living facility; Strabane Trails of Washington, an independent living facility; Donnell House, the region’s only residential hospice; and the Ruth York Morgan Health Education Learning Place, a health information resource center at the hospital.

About WPHO

Washington Physician Hospital Organization, Inc. (WPHO) is a partnership of The Washington Hospital and more than 235 primary care and specialist physicians serving Washington and Greene Counties. Founded in 1994, WPHO creates an integrated provider network designed to strengthen the local medical community by creating and maximizing opportunities to improve the delivery of quality, cost effective health care.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.8 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 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. For more information, see www.aetna.com. To learn more about Aetna's innovative online tools, visit www.aetnatools.com.