Cost-cutting at Aetna could affect HMO market in La.

WITH AETNA INC. stockholders looking enviously at the performance of some other insurers, such as United Health Group Inc., Aetna is trying to lure back Wall Street's affections. The company has promised to cut 5,000 jobs nationally and make its health plan more attractive to doctors.

As the insurer tries to shore up its stock price, it is talking about shutting down unprofitable segments of its commercial health maintenance organizations. Local insurance experts say if Aetna decides to stop offering its HMO to local employers, it would be a blow to many employees.

"People want choice, and the only way to get it is to have a large number of carriers to select from," says Denny Ebersole, a Gretna health insurance broker. "If you think costs are going up now, remember that the fewer carriers you have, the less likely their prices are going to be competitive."

Ebersole says five years ago it wasn't unusual for him to present 10 to 12 proposals to an employer shopping for insurance. Today, Ebersole's clients may entertainseven or eight bids, and only about three or four of them are viable alternatives.