Aetna Whole Health™ Introduces Individual Plans

ROANOKE, Va., May 02, 2012 — Expanding the reach of its accountable care initiative (ACO) with Carilion Clinic, Aetna (NYSE: AET) has begun offering an array of affordable individual insurance plans in the Roanoke area.

Aetna Whole Health plans are ideal for health care consumers who want to get quality care at lower costs. While similar in design to Aetna offerings in other Virginia counties, the new plans are priced significantly lower than those in other parts of the state, said Tom Grote, president of Aetna’s Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. markets.

“Because of our ACO relationship with Carilion Clinic, we are able to offer these plans at a lower price,” Grote said. “That alliance is based on shared accountability for the cost and quality of the care our members receive. More people today find themselves purchasing health insurance plans as individuals. The Aetna Whole Health plans provide an ideal option for them to obtain quality care at lower costs.”

The Aetna Whole Health plans include:

• Personalized care, education and engagement for patients;
• Shared accountability and shared cost savings among doctors through greater coordination; and
•  Easy-to-navigate plan features.

Aetna members also have access to a robust suite of resources and on-line tools that can help them save time and money and make more informed health care choices.

Aetna Whole Health plans unite Aetna’s network of contracted providers and small-group plans with doctors, hospitals and outpatient specialty centers from Carilion Clinic and LewisGale Regional Health System. The plans are priced to reflect the cost and quality benefits of the Aetna-Carilion collaboration.

Members can benefit from a low co-pay differential by using “designated network providers” who have been recognized or are in the process of being recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for meeting stringent efficiency and quality measures. Providers will help to create healthier communities by sharing information as patients pass through different health care settings and using personalized care and patient engagement to improve quality.

These new products are based on Carilion’s and Aetna’s accountable care organization (ACO) relationship, announced last year. ACOs are alliances of physicians, hospitals and other providers that offer a more coordinated approach to care for their patients with the goal of improving quality and reducing costs. ACOs emphasize preventive care and better care coordination among various providers to improve quality and efficiency. Aetna Whole Health features payment models that encourage providers to share accountability for health care quality and affordability.

The initiative combines Aetna’s innovative tools, designed to empower consumers by providing more control over health decisions, with Carilion’s accountable medical group, featuring a fully integrated electronic medical record and a comprehensive network of primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals and outpatient facilities.

Aetna provides health benefits to more than 550,000 members in Virginia. Those members have access to a contracted network of 92 hospitals and more than 14,000 primary care and specialist physicians.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.1 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services and health information technology services. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com. 

About Carilion Clinic
Carilion Clinic is a not-for-profit health care organization serving nearly one million people in Virginia through hospitals, outpatient specialty centers and advance primary care practices. Led by multi-specialty physician teams with a shared philosophy that puts the patient first, Carilion is committed to improving outcomes for every patient while advancing the quality of care through medical education and research. For more information, visit www.carilionclinic.org/about.