Aetna Signs Agreement with WellStar Health System -- Contract Expanded to Include Medicare Advantage Members --

ATLANTA, Oct 30, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Aetna (NYSE: AET) and WellStar Health System of Marietta, Ga. announced today that they have reached agreement on a three-year contract that provides access for Aetna's Medicare Advantage members to the hospital's facilities and physicians.

Under this new agreement, Aetna Medicare Advantage plan members will be able to receive covered services, at in-network rates, from WellStar facilities in the greater Atlanta area. Earlier this year, Aetna and WellStar reached agreement on a contract that applied to members of Aetna's commercial plans. Aetna members also will be able to continue receiving covered services from WellStar physicians.

"Aetna is very pleased to expand its relationship with WellStar," said Ramzy Elgomayel, Aetna's vice president of network operations for Georgia. "WellStar has provided excellent care to our commercial-plan members for several years, and we're delighted to be able offer in-network access to their facilities and providers for our Medicare Advantage plan members." "The expansion of the Aetna contract to cover the Medicare Advantage members further solidifies our relationship," said Barbara Corey, senior vice president of managed care for WellStar. "We look forward to providing exceptional health care services to these members." Aetna provides health benefits to approximately 600,000 members in Georgia.

Those members have access to a network that includes 80 contracted hospitals and more than 9,500 primary care physicians and specialists.

About WellStar Health System The vision of WellStar Health System is to deliver world-class health care.

WellStar, a not-for-profit health system, includes Cobb, Douglas, Kennestone, Paulding and Windy Hill hospitals; WellStar Physicians Group; Urgent Care Centers; Health Place; Homecare; Hospice; Atherton Place; Paulding Nursing Center; and WellStar Foundation. For more information, call 770-956-STAR or visit www.wellstar.org.

About Aetna Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.3 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.

For more information, see www.aetna.com.

SOURCE: Aetna CONTACT: Aetna Walt Cherniak, 410-691-1405 [e-mail] Copyright Business Wire 2009 -0- KEYWORD: United States

North America

Georgia INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Health

Hospitals

Other Health

Professional Services

Insurance

Managed Care SUBJECT CODE: Contract/Agreement

Product/Service