Aetna U.S. Healthcare Plans to Pull HMO From Certain Georgia Markets.

Aetna Inc. plans to pull out of yet another market for its commercial health maintenance organization product--this time in Georgia.

Aetna U.S. Healthcare's exit from the Augusta market will affect 20,000 members, while the Macon exit will affect 5,000 members. It stopped marketing each plan and will discontinue the renewals of its HMO-based products Jan. 1, 2002, said Marlene Baltar, a spokeswoman for the nation's largest health insurer, adding that renewals will be honored until that date.

Aetna will exit the HMO market before Jan. 1, 2003, Baltar said. Residents covered under existing policies will have to obtain new coverage once the last contract expires in 2003.

Aetna U.S. Healthcare was unable to negotiate favorable contract rates with local hospitals and physicians groups in Augusta and Macon, according to a report in the Augusta Chronicle.

But Baltar disputed that. "It was not related to any issues with providers," she said. Rather, "this is part of the complete strategic plan of our new senior executive team," she said.