Aetna Introduces PPO Plans for Individuals and Families in Virginia and Washington, D.C.; Aetna Basic Dental Plan Optional With Medical Plans.

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. -- Aetna (NYSE:AET) today announced its entry into the market for health plans for individuals and families in Virginia and Washington, D.C., with four new preferred provider organization (PPO) plans. Designed to provide additional health coverage options for individuals and families, these new Aetna Advantage PPO plans offer flexible plan designs, affordable premiums and comprehensive coverage for a wide variety of services. In addition, Aetna is offering a voluntary dental benefit with these new plans.

"We are pleased to offer plans for individuals and families in Virginia and the District of Columbia for the first time, and we see this as an opportunity to address their health insurance needs as well as to work to reduce the growing uninsured population," said Patrick Young, Aetna's general manager for small business in the Mid-Atlantic Region. "These plans offer a wide range of choices and benefits levels, which we strongly believe will appeal to individuals in these markets," Young said.

Aetna is offering individuals and families four new PPO plan designs. The plans offer members the freedom to go directly to any physician, hospital or health care professional - including specialists - for covered expenses, with no referrals required. If a member chooses a provider from Aetna's extensive network of participating physicians and hospitals, out-of-pocket costs will be lower.

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

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 for a reduced fee from normal rates. Members have access to a large 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.

"We are excited about Aetna offering these new plans for individuals and families," said John Mason, president of The Fairfax Insurance Group, LLC, a Fairfax, Va., employee benefits brokerage firm. "Aetna is a well-known, reputable carrier. Numerous clients have had group coverage with Aetna in the past and inquired about similar coverage on an individual basis - now there is a solution that fits their needs perfectly."

Aetna Advantage PPO plans are being sold directly to consumers or through independent insurance agents and brokers. Aetna intends to offer similar plans in additional states in 2004 and 2005.

Aetna Advantage PPO plans 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 536 hospitals, 4,285 primary care physicians and 9,548 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 13.4 million medical members, 11.4 million dental members, 8.1 million pharmacy members and 12.6 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 633,000 health care professionals, including over 377,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 3,866 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com.