Aetna Signs Contract with Shriners Hospitals for Children®

-- Nationwide Agreement Adds 20 Hospitals, 200 Doctors --

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Shriners Hospitals for Children® announced today that they have reached agreement on a three-year contract that expands access for Aetna members in 16 states.

“Many of our patients have described the expert care and compassion they receive as a medical miracle. Shriners Hospitals for Children is pleased to be entering into an agreement with Aetna.”

Under the agreement, which takes effect Aug. 1, members of Aetna plans will be able to receive covered services, at in-network rates, from 20 Shriners Hospitals for Children located in the United States. Approximately 200 physicians employed by Shriners Hospitals for Children also will be joining Aetna’s network.

“Aetna is very happy to announce this new agreement with Shriners Hospitals for Children,” said Carl King, Aetna’s head of national network contracting services. “We see this as a unique opportunity to build a national relationship with a highly specialized and widely respected organization. Aetna members, and especially their children, will benefit greatly from the addition of these facilities and providers.”

“At Shriners Hospitals for Children, our entire focus is on improving the lives of children. As a result, our patients routinely heal or recover to a far greater extent than expected, becoming able to do more than anyone thought possible,” said Douglas E. Maxwell, chairman of the Board of Trustees, Shriners Hospitals for Children®. “Many of our patients have described the expert care and compassion they receive as a medical miracle. Shriners Hospitals for Children is pleased to be entering into an agreement with Aetna.”

About Shriners Hospitals for Children®

Shriners Hospitals for Children is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. The 22 hospitals in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

In the United States, Shriners Hospitals for Children are located in California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Shriners Hospitals for Children® is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of donors. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 33.8 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary 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. To learn more about Aetna’s innovative online tools, visit www.aetnatools.com.