Aetna Foundation Makes Grants Totaling $184,000 to Florida-Based Organizations.

Business Editors

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 15, 2004

Aetna (NYSE: AET) Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have announced a total of $184,000 in community grants to 10 organizations located in Florida.

The amounts and grant recipients are:

-- $25,000 to the Memorial Foundation, Hollywood;

-- $25,000 to the American Lung Association's Gulf Coast chapter;

-- $20,000 to the Orlando Regional Healthcare Foundation;

-- $20,000 to the National Conference for Community and Justice,

Ft. Lauderdale;

-- $18,000 to St. Joseph's Hospital, Tampa;

-- $17,000 to Camillus Health Concern, Miami;

-- $15,000 to Clinica Luz Del Mundo, Oakland Park;

-- $14,000 to the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System;

-- $10,000 to the Jacksonville Housing Partnership;

-- $10,000 to the American Cancer Society's Tampa chapter.

"Reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care delivery and disease prevention are major goals for Aetna, and also are particularly important to the people of Florida," said Dr. William Hauser, Aetna's Southeast Region medical director. "We have directed much of our community grant funding this year to organizations that are working to target disparities."

Aetna awarded $25,000 to the Memorial Foundation to help fund its Hispanic Health Outreach initiative, which provides an interactive educational program that seeks to help non-English-speaking Hispanics access the health care system and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

A $25,000 Aetna grant to the American Lung Association of Gulfcoast Florida will support the organization's "Open Airways" program, an asthma education project that targets African-Americans.

The Orlando Regional Healthcare Foundation received a $20,000 grant for its "Teen X-press" program, a mobile, school-based health outreach for uninsured and/or homeless middle school and high school teens.

Aetna's $20,000 grant to the National Conference for Community and Justice will help fund an initiative to create culturally competent health care professionals by confronting racial and ethnic disparities in South Florida.

Tampa's St. Joseph's Hospital received an $18,000 grant toward "Zap Asthma," a childhood asthma prevention program.

Aetna awarded a $17,000 grant to the Camillus Health Concern. It will help fund "Project Street Sign," a diabetes improvement effort that screens African-American men for diabetes, while also providing information, guidance and nourishment.

A $15,000 Aetna grant to Clinica Luz Del Mundo (Light of the World Clinic) will help support a minority diabetes care and prevention outreach program, aimed at providing education to Hispanic patients already diagnosed with diabetes.

The Sarasota Memorial Health Care System was awarded $14,000 to help fund its "Diabetes Sunday" education initiative, which is aimed at increasing awareness among church members of risk factors associated with diabetes and strategies to prevent and manage diabetes.

Aetna awarded $10,000 to the Jacksonville Housing Partnership to help fund "Paint the Town During Rehab Week," a community revitalization program that targets a designated neighborhood in the city.

A $10,000 grant to the American Cancer Society's Tampa chapter will help support the annual Relay for Life, a 24-hour overnight event that honors cancer survivors and raises funds for the organization.

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.