Aetna was established in 1853 in Hartford, Connecticut, and currently is one of the biggest health insurance companies doing business in both California and Arizona. Aetna spans nationwide and currently has over 18 million members, around 14 million dental members, and has 11 million members they provide pharmacy benefits to. Their network of doctors, dentists, and physicians is very large, with close to 1 million health care professionals, around 500,000 primary care physicians and specialists, and 5,000 hospitals they are contracted with. Aetna’s 2009 revenue slightly exceeded $34 billion.

Group health insurance is a large portion of Aetna’s product portfolio, along with a multitude of health plans for individuals and families as well as Medicare supplement and dental plans.

Their mission is “dedication to helping people achieve health and financial security by providing easy access to safe, cost-effective, high-quality health care and protecting their finances against health-related risks. Building on our 156-year heritage, Aetna will be a leader cooperating with doctors and hospitals, employers, patients, public officials and others to build a stronger, more effective health care system.”

Aetna has four key values they adhere by: One is Integrity, stating to “do the right thing for the right reason”. Two is Excellence, saying they “strive to deliver the highest quality and value possible through simple, easy and relevant solutions”. Three is Caring, to “listen and respect their customers”, and four is Inspiration, “inspiring each other to explore ideas that can make the world a better place”.

Group health plans and insurers must provide a summary of benefits and coverage documenting enrollees and potential enrollees at specific times, including during enrollment and re-enrollment. New rules also require 60-days-prior-notice to enrollees when a health plan or issuer modifies the terms of the plan or coverage and the change is impactful. The final rule released by the U.S. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury (Departments) on February 14, 2012 states the requirement is effective for open enrollment activity that begins on or after September 23, 2012.