Aetna Introduces Health Plan Options Compatible with Health Savings Accounts for Individuals and Their Families in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. -- Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced today the addition of two new high-deductible health plans, which are compatible with health savings accounts (HSAs), for individuals and their families in Virginia and Washington, D.C. The two new Aetna high-deductible health plans are designed to provide additional, affordable, comprehensive health coverage options for individuals and their families.

"We are pleased to offer, for the first time in these markets, cost-effective health plans compatible with HSAs for individuals and their families, providing them with a wide range of choices and benefits levels," said Patrick Young, Aetna's general manager for small business in the Mid-Atlantic Region. "We strongly believe these plans will appeal to individuals and their families in these markets, providing them the opportunity to better plan for their health care spending, now and into the future," Young said.

Aetna is offering individuals and their families two new high-deductible preferred provider organization (PPO) plan designs with affordable rates. Members have the opportunity to enroll in a flexible health benefits plan tied to an HSA. HSAs are tax-advantaged accounts used to pay for qualified medical expenses. HSA contributions are tax deductible and earn interest tax free. HSAs are portable, and unused balances can be carried forward from year to year, making them a strong value for consumers. Aetna can offer members a convenient referral option for establishing their HSA accounts, or members have the freedom to choose their own HSA provider.

Both plans offer members the freedom to go directly to any doctor, hospital or health care professional - including specialists - for covered expenses, with no referrals required. If a member chooses a health care professional from Aetna's extensive network of participating physicians and hospitals, out-of-pocket costs will be lower.

The plans feature coverage for routine checkups and preventive care, specialty care, chiropractic care, hospitalization and surgery, diagnostic testing, emergency care and urgent care, subject to applicable copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. The plans also include prescription drug coverage, subject to a deductible, copayments and calendar-year maximum.

In addition, members have the option to enroll in the Aetna Basic Dental plan at the time of their medical election. The Aetna Basic Dental plan features coverage for most preventive and diagnostic services for small copayments when members visit their primary care dentists. Members have the option to visit any participating dentist without a referral for many additional services, and pay a reduced fee from normal rates. Members have access to an extensive network of participating dentists and dental specialists.

To help members make informed decisions, Aetna offers online tools such as Aetna Navigator(TM), a member self-service website that provides a record of personal health information, and DocFind(R), a directory members can use to search for health care providers by type, specialty, name, gender, language, hospital affiliation and other criteria. Members also have access to Aetna InteliHealth(R), an online consumer health information website.

In September, Aetna began offering four Aetna Advantage PPO plans for individuals and their families in Virginia and Washington, D.C. Aetna plans for individuals and their families are being sold directly to consumers or through independent insurance agents and brokers in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Aetna intends to offer similar plans in additional states in 2005.

Aetna plans for individuals and their families are available in 18 counties in northern Virginia, 23 counties in eastern Virginia, 25 counties in central Virginia and 22 counties in western Virginia as well as throughout Washington, D.C. Aetna members in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., have access to a network of 562 hospitals, 4,368 primary care physicians and 9,843 specialists.

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 13.6 million medical members, 11.6 million dental members, 8.3 million pharmacy members and 13.3 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 646,000 health care professionals, including over 385,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 3,908 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com. (Figures as of September 30, 2004)