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Aetna Signs Statement in Support of Federal Government Focus on Transparency in Health Care

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 November 2006, 09:00 CST

Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced today that it is the first health plan, and one of the first Fortune 100 employers in the country, to sign the "Statement of Support for the Four Cornerstones of Value-driven Health Care" recently released by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Committing to the "Four Cornerstones" is an important step in implementing the Executive Order on health care transparency signed by President Bush in August of this year. By signing the statement Aetna is voluntarily agreeing to purchase health care on behalf of its 30,000 employees based on overall value, quality and efficiency of care.

"Aetna is committed to building a health care system in which clinical quality and value are transparent to health care consumers," said Aetna Chairman, CEO and President Ronald A. Williams, who personally signed the statement of support on Nov. 22. "We have shown our long-term commitment in myriad ways -- by releasing physician-specific information on health care costs and clinical quality, developing an industry-leading portfolio of consumer-directed products, introducing a Personal Health Record, building a high-performance network of specialist physicians, and partnering with organizations committed to quality measurement and improvement such as the National Quality Forum (NQF), Ambulatory and Hospital Quality Alliances (AQA/HQA), the Leapfrog Group, Bridges to Excellence and the Care Focused Purchasing coalition.

"We are embracing the 'Four Cornerstones' as both a large, national employer and as a provider of diversified health care benefits to 29.8 million Americans," said Williams. "In addition, we are encouraging our employer clients to support the 'Four Cornerstones' because we believe that they will help employers get the most value for their health care dollars by directing them towards organizations and providers who are committed to improving the quality and value of health care in America."

The "Statement of Support for the Four Cornerstones of Value-driven Health Care" was electronically released to employers on Nov. 16. The "Four Cornerstones" are:

Support health information technology

Provide quality information

Provide pricing information

Promote quality and efficiency of care

HHS is asking that 100 of the largest purchasers of health care in the country voluntarily sign the statement of support and commit to the principles by the end of the year. More information about the "Four Cornerstones" is available at www.hhs.gov/transparency.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.8 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, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com

Source: Business Wire

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