Aetna to enter behavioral health business in 2006.Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna Inc. will offer its own behavioral-health business effective Jan. 1, 2006, following the leading health insurer's $50 million-plus purchase of assets from Magellan Health Services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract Inc. of Farmington, Conn. "We expect to develop more innovative programs that integrate physical, behavior and pharmacy disciplines," said Mark Bertolini, senior vice president of Aetna Specialty Products, which includes services provided by Aetna Behavioral Health Behavioral health was first used in the 1980's to name the combination of the fields mental health and substance abuse. As an example, an organization serving both mental health and substance abuse clients might refer to its practice as behavioral health or ." This is a very highly specialized spe·cial·ize v. spe·cial·ized, spe·cial·iz·ing, spe·cial·iz·es v.intr. 1. To pursue a special activity, occupation, or field of study. 2. form of helping people navigate (1) "Surfing the Web." To move from page to page on the Web. (2) To move through the menu structure in a software application. the health-care system, and we wanted to have that in-house." The new business, which will operate under Aetna Behavioral Health, will begin once Aetna exercises its option to purchase Magellan's assets that service Aetna's behavioral-health business. The assets include three dedicated behavioral health care service centers and a provider network to service Aetna. |
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