Aetna Ranked First in Three States in Nation's Largest Customer Satisfaction Survey.

Aetna Scores Highest in Tennessee, South Carolina and Missouri

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Aetna (NYSE: AET) health plans in Tennessee, South Carolina and Missouri scored first in their respective states in customer satisfaction, according to an independent survey of 200,000 households.

The survey, conducted by the National Research Corporation (NRC), is the largest assessment of customer satisfaction in the United States. Top-ranked health plans are determined by member satisfaction measured in the annual NRC Healthcare Market Guide[R] study, which surveyed households in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia.

The study measured consumer satisfaction in seven areas: overall satisfaction, willingness to recommend a plan, on-line tools, customer service, complaint resolution, plan communication and enrollment process.

"Aetna is committed to giving its members the information and tools they need to become more informed about the sometimes confusing health care system," said Steve Wohlwend, president of Aetna's operations in Tennessee and South Carolina. "We've introduced consumer-directed products, on-line tools, and expanded price and quality transparency to help make more information available to consumers, in a way they can use and understand. This award is evidence that those efforts are being recognized by our customers."

Each year NRC honors those health plans whose members rate them as having the best customer care. This award, the Customer Care Award, reflects the growing role consumer choice is playing in the health care field, and the need to provide consumers a way to assess the quality of payers in the marketplace.

Behind the Customer Care Award is NRC's Healthcare Market Guide (HCMG): the nation's largest assessment into the attitudes, opinions and behaviors of health care consumers. With over 200,000 survey completed annually across the U.S., this study provides health insurance companies with insights into the opinions and experiences of over 400,000 household members.

NRC has been conducting the study since 1987 and has accumulated a database that includes insights from millions of respondents. This study empowers health insurance companies by providing a platform for understanding consumers at a national, state, regional, or even local level.

National Research Corporation has been dedicated to providing health care research and quality improvement to many of the nation's top health plans, hospitals, and health systems for over 25 years. Dedicated solely to the health care industry, NRC is a leading provider of ongoing survey-based health risk assessments and HEDIS measurement for health plans, and in performance measurement, improvement, analysis and tracking services to healthcare organizations.

Aetna provides health benefits to approximately 205,000 members in Tennessee, 106,000 members in South Carolina, and 172,000 members in Missouri.

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.9 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, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com