Aetna Offers Three Medicare Advantage Plan HMO Options to Individual B

Aetna Offers Three Medicare Advantage Plan HMO Options to Individual Beneficiaries in Maryland, Prescription Drug Coverage Available With $0 Premium Plan

    Healthcare Editors/Insurance Writers

    LINTHICUM, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 14, 2005--Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced today that it has received approval from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to offer three Aetna Golden Medicare Plan(R) options to individual Medicare beneficiaries in seven Maryland counties. The new Medicare Advantage HMO plans will be available immediately for Feb. 1, 2005 effective dates.
    The approval marks Aetna's return to Maryland's Medicare Advantage HMO market in Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Calvert, Charles, Harford and Howard counties. Aetna also offers the Aetna Golden Choice(TM) Plan, a Medicare point-of-service plan, to beneficiaries in those counties. In addition, Aetna offers Medicare Advantage plans to Maryland employer groups of all sizes in several Maryland counties.
    "We're extremely excited to provide Maryland's Medicare beneficiaries a greater choice of health plan designs, benefits and cost options," said Eric Cormier, head of Medicare Markets for Aetna in the Mid-Atlantic area. "Following the Medicare Modernization Act, Aetna is poised to grow its Medicare plan business, both with individuals and employer groups," Cormier said. "We believe Aetna offers the solution for Medicare beneficiaries by allowing them to choose plans that best fit their lifestyles. We want them to view us as the source for products, service and information that helps them meet their health needs."
    Medicare beneficiaries in the seven Maryland counties will be able to choose from three Aetna Golden Medicare Plan designs:

--	Two Aetna Golden Medicare Plan options. One plan is offered for a $0 monthly premium, and the other, with more comprehensive benefits, has a $29 monthly premium.
--	Prescription drug coverage options. For an extra monthly premium of $25, beneficiaries can add unlimited coverage for generic prescription drugs to those plans that do not offer prescription drug coverage. For an extra monthly premium of approximately $60, beneficiaries can add unlimited coverage for generic prescription drugs and limited coverage for brand-name prescription drugs.
--	$0 premium plan with drug coverage. The third offering is a $0 premium plan with a $500 annual deductible and unlimited coverage for generic prescription drugs.
--	Coverage for preventive care at no out-of-pocket cost to beneficiaries. All of Aetna's Medicare Advantage plans in Maryland provide full coverage for routine physicals, hearing tests, eye exams and other preventive care services.

    As one of the nation's leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care benefits, Aetna puts information and helpful resources to work for its approximately 13.6 million medical members, 11.6 million dental members, 8.3 million pharmacy members and 13.3 million group insurance members to help them make better informed decisions about their health care and protect their finances against health-related risks. Aetna provides easy access to cost-effective health care through a nationwide network of more than 646,000 health care professionals, including over 385,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 3,908 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com. (Figures as of September 30, 2004)

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CONTACT: Aetna Investor Contact: David Entrekin 860-273-7830 EntrekinD@aetna.com or Media Contact: Walt Cherniak 410-691-1405 cherniakjrw@aetna.com

KEYWORD: MARYLAND DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INSURANCE MEDICAL CONSUMER/HOUSEHOLD PRODUCT SOURCE: Aetna

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