Aetna Receives Award for Innovative Use of Speech Technology; Aetna the Only National Health Insurer to Be Listed Among Speech Technology Magazine's 'Top 10'.HARTFORD, Conn. -- At the 2005 SpeechTek Conference August 1-4, Aetna's (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :AET AET Aetna, Inc. AET After Extra Time AET Actual Evapotranspiration AET Alliance for Environmental Technology AET Alpha-Ethyltryptamine AET Applied Extrusion Technologies, Inc. ) use of speech technology to serve members and health care professionals earned the company a "2005 Most Innovative Solution" award from Speech Technology Magazine. The company's speech-enabled telephone application, Aetna Voice Advantage(R), handles an average of 4.5 million calls per month and enables callers to use natural speech to hear claims and coverage information and perform self-service transactions around the clock without needing to speak to a customer service professional. "Aetna enables members and health care professionals to get the information they need when, where and how they need it. Our use of speech technology in customer service adds another degree of flexibility, ease and convenience to the customer experience," said Dottie Verkade, Aetna's head of Service Innovations. Consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable handling certain customer service tasks on their own and nine out of 10 consumers believe that voice automation systems can add value to the customer experience, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a survey conducted by Harris Interactive Harris Interactive (NASDAQ: HPOL) is an American market research company that specializes in public opinion research using both telephone and surveys on online panels. The company is the product of a 1996 merger between the Gordon S. Black Company and Louis Harris & Associates. . Nearly every call to Aetna from members or health or dental care professionals regarding medical or dental benefits is answered by Aetna Voice Advantage. Through intelligent routing, calls requiring additional assistance are routed to someone who specializes in the member's plan or to a dedicated provider service center representative. Enhancements to Aetna Voice Advantage as well as online self-service initiatives contributed to a 9 percent reduction of calls requiring assistance by a representative from 2003 to 2004. "To ensure Aetna Voice Advantage is meeting their needs, we regularly evaluate caller Caller may refer to one of the following:
Among its features, Aetna Voice Advantage allows members and providers to: --Check claim status and details, such as payment date and amount --Confirm eligibility and benefits --Hear Flexible Spending Account flexible spending account, n an employee reimbursement account primarily funded with employee-designated salary reductions. Funds are reimbursed to the employee for health care (medical and/or dental), dependent care, and/or legal expenses and are balances and payments --Change or confirm claim mailing addresses Members can also request new ID cards and claim forms, order provider directories, and change their primary care physician or dentist dentist /den·tist/ (den´tist) a person with a degree in dentistry and authorized to practice dentistry. den·tist n. A person who is trained and licensed to practice dentistry. using Aetna Voice Advantage. Health care professionals, including hospitals and dentists Dentists can refer to one of the following:
In 2004, members and providers used Aetna Voice Advantage to check eligibility and benefits coverage 2.8 million times and the status of a claim 4.8 million times. About the 2005 Most Innovative Solutions Awards Speech Technology Magazine presents the Most Innovative Solutions awards in recognition of companies that use creative speech-service applications. To choose the 2005 Most Innovative Solutions, a panel comprised of Speech Technology Magazine columnists and writers selected the top ten companies from nominations they received that demonstrated creativity and innovation in their implementation of speech. About Aetna As one of the nation's leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy pharmacy, art of compounding and dispensing drugs and medication. The term is also applied to an establishment used for such purposes. Until modern times medication was prepared and dispensed by the physician himself. In the 18th cent. , group life, disability and long-term care long-term care (LTC), n the provision of medical, social, and personal care services on a recurring or continuing basis to persons with chronic physical or mental disorders. benefits, Aetna puts information and helpful resources to work for its approximately 14.435 million medical members, 12.976 million dental members, 9.117 million pharmacy members and 13.662 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 684,000 health care professionals, including over 405,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 4,135 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com. (Figures as of June 30, 2005) |
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