Aetna, Health First Sign Five-Year Contract.ORLANDO, Fla. -- Aetna (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : AET AET Aetna, Inc. AET After Extra Time AET Actual Evapotranspiration AET Alliance for Environmental Technology AET Alpha-Ethyltryptamine AET Applied Extrusion Technologies, Inc. ) announced today that it has reached agreement with Health First on a five-year contract, significantly expanding hospital and physician access for its members in Florida's Space Coast area. The contract takes effect July 1. Rockledge-based Health First consists of three hospitals -- Cape Canaveral Cape Canaveral (kənăv`ərəl), low, sandy promontory extending E into the Atlantic Ocean from a barrier island, E Fla., separated from Merritt Island by the Banana River, a lagoon; named (1963) Cape Kennedy in memory of President John Hospital in Cocoa Beach, Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, and Palm Bay Community Hospital -- as well as a wide range of outpatient diagnostic, treatment, and rehabilitation services. Major areas of specialty include a heart center, stroke program, cancer care, diabetes, rehabilitation, women and children's health Children's Health Definition Children's health encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of children from infancy through adolescence. , and the only trauma center trauma center n. A medical facility that is designated to treat severe physical trauma as a result of the specialized training of its staff and the availability of appropriate diagnostic and treatment tools. in Brevard and Indian River Indian River, lagoon, c.100 mi (160 km) long, E Fla., parallel to the east coast from N of Titusville to Stuart. Along the lagoon a variety of citrus and vegetable products are grown and transported by small boats to towns on its waterway and those further inland. counties. "We're very excited to welcome the Health First facilities and doctors to Aetna's network," said Ruth Fricke, Aetna's head of network operations for Florida. "It's great news for our members in the area, who now have a much broader choice of doctors and hospitals in their communities." Under the new contract, Aetna's members will be able to access all Health First facilities for covered in-patient and out-patient services, at in-network rates. "We are pleased that Aetna health plan members on the Space Coast will now have improved access to care through an expanded network of providers that includes Health First," says Mike Means, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Health First. Aetna provides health benefits to approximately 1.3 million members in Florida, offering a wide variety of group and individual plans. In the Central Florida marketplace, members can receive in-network care from 31 hospitals, 1,083 primary care physicians and 2,610 specialists. Health First, a local not-for-profit health system, was formed in 1995 with the joining of Cape Canaveral Hospital, Holmes Regional Medical Center, and Palm Bay Community Hospital. Today, the system includes home health and hospice services, three fitness centers, an Aging Institute, a multi-specialty physician group, and durable medical equipment Durable medical equipment is a term of art used to describe certain Medicare benefits, that is, whether Medicare may pay for the item. The item is defined by Title XVIII the Social Security Act: Its heart program based at Holmes recently was ranked No. 1 in Florida and in the top five percent nationally for clinical excellence in cardiac services according to HealthGrades, one of the nation's leading providers of independent hospital ratings. Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 28.3 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 long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. 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 |
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