Aetna Combines Health and Disability Management to Improve Employee Wellness and Productivity.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 11, 2004

Program focuses on identifying potentially adverse health and disability events, and providing information to physicians and members before events occur

Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced today an industry-leading approach to the coordination and delivery of benefits across medical, disability, behavioral health and pharmacy. Through Aetna Integrated Health and Disability, Aetna seamlessly integrates a member's health, disability, behavioral health and pharmacy data, identifying and proactively reaching out to members at risk of suffering adverse health and disability events and streamlining processes for physicians and Aetna members. The end result is an individualized, holistic approach to identifying and implementing specific opportunities for improved employee wellness and productivity.

Loss of productivity due to a disability is a significant concern for American employers. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, companies lost approximately 674 million workdays in 2001 due to employee illness and injury, and a study by Mercer Human Resource Consulting found that companies spent a full 15 percent of payroll on employee absence in 2002.

"The integration of health and disability data creates great opportunities for Aetna to provide actionable information to the physicians who are helping our members lead healthier, more productive lives. And, while it can't necessarily prevent a disease like diabetes, it can help a patient manage the progression of the disease both at home and in the workplace," said Aetna Chief Medical Officer William C. Popik, M.D. "It also allows our nurses to share information that can prove valuable in determining the appropriate course of action - whether that involves medical treatment or rehabilitation."

Under the integrated model, subscribers who have an applicable health or disability claim are asked for their permission to share data between Aetna's health and disability staffs. Once permission is granted, health and disability case managers work together to achieve the greatest impact on the member's overall health. In addition, members and doctors have one single point of contact for interacting with Aetna on complex clinical issues, eliminating multiple phone calls and duplicative paperwork. The program currently focuses on over 2,000 specific diagnoses including asthma, major burns, cardiovascular disease, high-risk obstetrics, diabetes mellitus, depression and cancer.

"When it comes to improving someone's chances of returning to work sooner or avoiding disability altogether, timing is everything. Waiting until someone is sick enough to apply for disability benefits results in a significant lost opportunity," said Dong Ahn, head of Aetna Group Insurance. "By combining Aetna's competencies in medical, behavioral health, pharmacy and disability management, we integrate a wealth of information that paints a more complete picture of an individual's health status. As a result, we can work with the member's physician prior to the occurrence of a disability."

Research shows that workers under the age of 55 with diabetes are six times more likely to experience reduced productivity at work, highlighting the potential value of integrating health and disability information. For example, a diabetic member who participates in the program would receive case management support from a care team that reviews the case in its entirety. Because they are reviewing and sharing information from multiple sources, this team would be aware that while this diabetic member was out on disability due to low back pain, he or she was also recently admitted to the hospital after suffering a diabetic coma. The team would then develop a common plan to help the member understand his or her condition and any contributing factors. In this member's case, the team would also recognize that he or she was suffering from depression, a common co-existing illness, and suggest that depression management be included in the treatment plan.

Integrated Health and Disability is available at no additional charge to Aetna members who have both Aetna health and disability benefits.

Aetna is one of the nation's leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care benefits, serving approximately 13.0 million medical members, 10.9 million dental members, 7.4 million pharmacy members and 12.3 million group insurance customers, as of December 31, 2003. The company has expansive nationwide networks of more than 600,000 health care services providers, including over 362,000 primary care and specialist physicians and 3,626 hospitals. For more information about Aetna, please visit the company's web site at www.aetna.com.