Aetna Inc. : Aetna Whole Health™ Introduces Individual Plans
05/02/2012| 04:10pm US/Eastern
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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;
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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.
Aetna
Walt Cherniak, 410-401-9490
cherniakjrw@aetna.com
© Business Wire 2012
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