Aetna Foundation Makes Grants Totaling $155,000 to Philadelphia-Area Organizations.

Business Editors

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 15, 2004

Aetna (NYSE: AET) Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have announced a total of $155,000 in community grants to seven organizations located in the Philadelphia area.

The amounts and grant recipients are:

-- $50,000 to Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia;

-- $20,000 to the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network,

Philadelphia;

-- $20,000 to the American Diabetes Association's Plymouth

Meeting chapter;

-- $20,000 to the American Lung Association of Pennsylvania,

Plymouth Meeting;

-- $20,000 the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia;

-- $15,000 to the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia;

-- $10,000 to the Kelly Ann Dolan Memorial Fund, Ambler.

"As a major insurer and employer in the Philadelphia area, Aetna is committed to supporting organizations in the communities where our people work and live," said R.J. Franzoi, head of health care delivery for Aetna's Mid-Atlantic region. "Our community grants focus this year is on programs that target and work to reduce disparities in health care delivery and disease prevention. We're very pleased to be able to assist these valuable efforts."

Aetna awarded $50,000 to Thomas Jefferson University to help fund its program to treat childhood asthma in Philadelphia. The program identifies asthmatic children with high school absenteeism and connects them with health care resources and services.

A $20,000 Aetna grant to the Albert Einstein Healthcare Network will support its "STOP (Students Take on Prevention) Diabetes" program, which provides school-based health education on diabetes, using teens as peer educators.

The American Diabetes Association's Plymouth Meeting chapter received a $20,000 grant for its "Diabetes Sunday" program, an interactive diabetes education program for African-American and Latino people.

Aetna's $20,000 grant to the American Lung Association of Pennsylvania will help fund asthma care packages, a resource tool to help educate families and help them effectively manage asthma.

The Franklin Institute received an $20,000 grant for its "Heart of the Matter" exhibit, an interactive museum learning experience aimed at children in grades four through eight. The exhibit teaches children about heart anatomy, ailments and treatment, as well as health and wellness.

Aetna awarded a $15,000 grant to the Police Athletic League of Philadelphia for its "Adopt a Center" program, which provides health fairs and other education to children in inner-city neighborhoods.

A $10,000 Aetna grant to the Kelly Anne Dolan Memorial Fund will help support the "Fresh Air" program, which purchases air conditioners for disadvantaged children with asthma.

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.