Aetna's New Integrated Products Offer Choice, Simplicity and Affordability to Small and Midsize Employers.

HARTFORD, Conn. -- -- Customers also gain access to Aetna's Resource Connection, a new discount program that provides big company discounts on goods and services commonly used by small to midsize businesses --

Researching the most cost-efficient health benefits plan and then managing the plan's paperwork can easily daunt a small business owner or HR staff. To simplify the benefits decision-making process, Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced today that its licensed affiliates will offer streamlined plan options and one-stop shopping for small and midsize employers. Employers with 51 to 125 employees located in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey can now purchase Aetna Spectrum Integrated Benefits(SM), which merges many of the Aetna family of products - medical, dental, disability and life - under one umbrella and with one point of contact.

Aetna Spectrum Integrated Benefits offers a range of managed and traditional medical, dental, life and disability products as well as a new Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) consumer-directed option. Employers can choose up to two medical plans from 23 standard designs with integrated pharmacy coverage, one dental plan and one plan from each of the life and disability product lines.

"Often, an employer will purchase medical, disability, behavioral and pharmacy plans from a number of different carriers. This makes it difficult for any one employer to effectively manage and administer their employee benefits program," said Kate Begley, general manager for Middle Market Accounts in Aetna's Mid-Atlantic Region.

Begley added that by integrating these benefits with Aetna's Spectrum Integrated Benefits, employers will benefit from administrative efficiencies. The program includes a single proposal for all products; a single point of contact for their billing, enrollment and eligibility needs; the option to receive a consolidated online bill; and generally lower pricing that takes advantage of Aetna's multi-product synergies.

Programs to Help Employees Stay Healthy

In addition to streamlined administration and anticipated lower costs, Aetna Spectrum Integrated Benefits includes a range of features designed to improve employees' health and productivity. These programs and discount services encourage members to get preventive care and make healthier lifestyle choices.

--Vital Savings by Aetna(R) - A dental discount program that provides access to a network of 48,000 dental office locations nationwide.

--Vision One(R) Discount Program(1) - Savings on eyeglasses, contact lenses, eye exams and LASIK eye surgery.

--Fitness Program Discounts -On fitness club membership rates, home exercise equipment, and on convenient month-to-month gym memberships.

--Alternative Health Care Programs Discounts - Special discounts on purchases of alternative therapies including acupuncture, chiropractic services, massage therapists and nutritional counselors.

--Aetna Employee Assistance Program - A program designed to help members and their families balance the demand of work, life and personal issues.

Save Time and Money on Your Monthly Business Expense

Aetna business customers also will gain access to Aetna's Resource Connection, a new discount program that provides big company discounts on goods and services commonly used by small to midsize businesses. Aetna's Resource Connection extends discounts from major companies in areas including payroll and HR, technology, staffing, marketing, operations and finance. Discounts are applicable to Aetna business customers with two to 300 employees.

Three Pearle Vision Centers in Maine have signed up for the program. Tamara Arrico, general manager of the Pearle Vision Center franchises in Maine, says that her company expects to save 35 percent to 40 percent on payroll services as a result of Aetna's Resource Connection.

"Last month we switched insurance carriers," Arrico said. "I found the ease of switching to a new plan from Aetna and gaining access to the discounts offered through Aetna's Resource Connection extremely compelling. Now we are saving money on both employee health benefits and payroll expenses."

Some of the vendors(2) who participate in Aetna's Resource Connection include:

--HP - Offers Aetna customers a range of three to 10 percent discount on HP computer hardware and services

--PrimePay - Provides Aetna customers up to a 40 percent discount on payroll services with a two-year rate guarantee and a dedicated customer service representative who acts as an extension of the staff

--Staples - Extends access to Staples' private B-to-B shopping site, StaplesLink.com, for special Aetna Resource Connection savings averaging over 15 percent.

Another advantage of Aetna's Resource Connection is its simplicity. Members can access the list of vendors at http://www.aetna.com/employer/arc.html, find the vendor they want to use, fill out some basic information (including their Aetna account number), and immediately have access to the discounted rates.

New Plan Is Now Available Through Regional and Local Health Insurance Brokers

In addition to Delaware, Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey, Aetna Spectrum Integrated Benefits is currently offered in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Additional markets will be added throughout the year. The availability of a plan or program may vary by geographic service area and by plan design.

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 14.65 million medical members, 13.03 million dental members, 9.34 million pharmacy members and 13.67 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 700,000 health care professionals, including over 418,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 4,231 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com. (Figures as of September 30, 2005)

(1) Vision One is a registered trademark of Cole Vision.

(2) Each vendor has its own requirements and some have additional terms, conditions and disclosures concerning their programs. Not all programs are guaranteed to be available.