Aetna Committed To Medicare-Risk Product.WALNUT CREEK Walnut Creek, residential city (1990 pop. 60,569), Contra Costa co., W Calif., in the San Francisco Bay area; inc. 1914. It is the trade and shipping center of an extensive agricultural area where walnuts are among the major product. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 9, 1996--Aetna Health Plans (AHP AHP Assistant House Physician. ) has restated its commitment to members of the Senior Choice product, the health care company's growing managed care Medicare-risk business. On July 25, AHP's parent company, Aetna Inc., announced that it would stop administering traditional Medicare fee-for-service programs in 1997. The decision was made not to renew contracts with the federal Health Care Financing Administration Health Care Financing Administration, n.pr department in the U.S. agency of Health and Human Services responsible for the oversight of the Medicaid and Medicare benefit programs, including guidelines, payment, and coverage policies. (HCFA HCFA abbr. Health Care Financing Administration HCFA, n.pr See Health Care Financing Administration. ), whose programs pay for services as they are rendered. Instead, Aetna has chosen to concentrate its efforts on its health maintenance organization (HMO HMO health maintenance organization. HMO n. A corporation that is financed by insurance premiums and has member physicians and professional staff who provide curative and preventive medicine within certain financial, ) product for seniors, which is one of the fastest-growing segments of both Aetna and U.S. Healthcare. U.S. Healthcare merged with Aetna in July 1996. "Our decision was based on the company's desire to grow and improve our Senior Choice Medicare HMO and in no way affects our Senior Choice Medicare HMO members," said Aetna Vice President Robert Kaplan. "In fact, we are committed to offering seniors greater choice by providing access to quality health care that includes many extras like hearing exams, dental programs, prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, benefits and vision care coverage." Kaplan noted that the health plan's strong preventive care program includes free flu shots and free classes offering medical self-care training, nutrition and safety information. In addition, the company has been the major sponsor of the Bay to Breakfast event in San Francisco for 11 years, an event that promotes exercise and a healthful health·ful adj. 1. Conducive to good health; salutary. 2. Healthy. health  ful·ness n. lifestyle for seniors. Senior Choice has more than 85,000 members in California and has expanded to the following counties: Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Orange, Kern and Ventura. Member satisfaction surveys conducted in 1995 showed that overall member satisfaction with the plan was 92%. Aetna has consistently ranked among the top Medicare contractors in terms of quality and efficiency and has received many Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) awards, including the Administrators Citation this past June. In California, Aetna Health Plans (AHP) provides group health benefits through its managed care and traditional indemnity programs and government contracts to more than 1.2 million people. Nationally, Aetna Health Plans and U.S. Healthcare form the country's leading managed health care company. Aetna and U.S. Healthcare provide high-quality health care coverage through health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations pre·ferred provider organization n. Abbr. PPO A medical insurance plan in which members receive more coverage if they choose health care providers approved by or affiliated with the plan. , point-of-service plans and traditional fee-for-service plans to more than 23 million individuals. CONTACT: Aetna Health Plans Sal Foti, 860/636-5760 |
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