Aetna Opens Walk-In Office in Coral Gables.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Most health insurance field offices are a collection of desks and cubicles, where salespeople, network managers and customer service representatives go about their business.

But with the opening of its new "walk-in" office in Coral Gables, Fla., Aetna (NYSE: AET) is trying to get closer to its present and potential customer base. The new office, at 35 Alhambra Plaza, is rolling out the welcome mat for walk-in visitors in the pedestrian-friendly Coral Gables community.

"Health insurance is a very personal concern," says Orlando Mendoza, Aetna's vice president of Strategic Market Development for Miami. "And Aetna wants to make more of a personal connection with our customers, brokers and neighbors in Coral Gables."

People interested in learning more about Aetna's individual or group insurance plans are welcome to drop in between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. They can pick up brochures and other information or speak to an Aetna representative. Agents and brokers can use kiosks set up to help them model different benefit designs and options. Or, if they simply want to stop in to chat over a cup of cafe con leche, that's fine as well.

"We want to do a better job of listening to people in this community, so that we can work better with them," says Mendoza, who will be based in the new office. "In particular, we want to build stronger alliances with Miami's Hispanic community, and the best way to do that is face-to-face."

Aetna is exploring innovative ideas and programs to help people use their health care benefits wisely, and is encouraging people to access preventive care, both to improve outcomes and to decrease inequality in health care, Mendoza said.

"I'm very pleased to see Aetna moving into the Coral Gables community," said Peter J. Busse, a Miami-based insurance agent with New York Life. "It's good to see a company immerse itself in the business and cultural life of the people it serves. I look forward to visiting and working in the new facility."

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.7 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. www.aetna.com