Congress, Stakeholders Make History Achieving Mental Health Parity
Posted on: Friday, 3 October 2008, 15:00 CDT
Aetna (NYSE: AET) applauds Members of the House and Senate for reaching a landmark agreement on mental health parity that is supported by medical professionals, consumer advocates, hospitals, employers, health plans - including Aetna - and other stakeholders. Coming as it did as part of the complicated economic stability package, this important legislation demonstrates our country's firm commitment to improving heath care for millions of Americans. The bill now goes to the President's desk for signature.
Aetna has been a proponent of workable mental-health parity legislation since 2004, when Senate leaders approached the company to work on this issue, and we have worked with Members of Congress and other stakeholders to help resolve differences in language between competing bills. Once signed, this new law will promote parity in health care coverage for mental health illnesses improving the quality of health care overall.
"Aetna is proud to have played a significant role in this landmark legislation," said Ronald A. Williams, Chairman and CEO of Aetna. "We as a nation are in a position to finally write into law important changes to our health care system while protecting its economic stability, and to help deliver improved benefits to mental health patients throughout the country.
"The legislation will benefit all Americans because it makes mental health treatment accessible and affordable. Aetna's members will be better able to achieve improved health outcomes through integrated medical and behavioral benefits and services."
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 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. www.aetna.com
Source: Business Wire
Related Articles
- President Obama Asks for COSE's Input on Health Care Reform Plan
- Business Roundtable Unveils Health Care Policy Plan
- Healthways, Rocky Mountain Health Plans Announce 5-Year Health and Care Support(SM) Agreement
- Independence Blue Cross Finalizes New Multi-Year Agreements With Mercy Health System and St. Mary Medical Center
- eBenefits Direct (EBFD) Now Backed By Over $20 Billion in Assets As It Partners With Assurant Health for Sale of Major Medical Insurance Products
- Aetna Global Benefits(R) Introduces Aetna HealthFund(R) Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) Plan
- Delta Dental of Virginia Introduces Benefits to Help Improve Health of Diabetics, Reduce Rate of Low Birth Weight Babies
- Web Firm Taps into U.S. Health Care Trend, but Can Investors Benefit?
- CORRECTING and REPLACING Health Net Expands Medicare Plan Offerings; Nearly 100 New Plans Key To Company's Cost-Effective Prescription Drug Coverage
- American Public Health Association Applauds HHS Plan to ExtendBenefits to Help America's Seniors Stop Smoking
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds