Aetna Offers New CHIP and Medicaid Plans in the Tarrant and Bexar Service Areas of Texas.

DALLAS -- --State with Highest Percentage of Uninsured in the U.S. Will Have New Options Beginning in September --

Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced the availability of new health plans for CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program) and Medicaid recipients in the Tarrant and Bexar

service areas of Texas. The plans, which are effective September 1, 2006, offer greater choice to the more than 300,000 Texas residents in these areas who are eligible for CHIP or Medicaid and could potentially cover tens of thousands of state residents who currently have no health insurance. Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured people in the United States, with some 25 percent of Texans without health insurance.(1)

"Aetna is dedicated to developing health coverage solutions for uninsured Americans, more than five million of whom live in Texas," said Anne Rote, general manager of Medicaid and CHIP Services for Aetna. "Through our participation in the CHIP and Medicaid programs, we believe that we are helping underserved people in these communities enroll in health plans and ultimately gain greater access to health care."

Medicaid is a state-sponsored health care program for low-income individuals. CHIP is a state-sponsored health care program for children under the age of 19 from families who make too much money for Medicaid, but cannot afford health care for their children.

The Medicaid and CHIP programs offered by Aetna provide enrollees with Aetna HMO coverage and access to Aetna network providers, including doctors, hospitals and other medical professionals.

Enrollees in both of Aetna's plans receive comprehensive health benefits, including doctor visits, checkups and shots; emergency care; hospitalization; prenatal and newborn care; prescription drug coverage; and behavioral health services. Aetna's plans include comprehensive maternity care, with dedicated case managers to help members throughout their pregnancies with getting prenatal care. In addition, the company offers disease management and educational materials for members with asthma and diabetes.

Every member who enrolls in the Medicaid or CHIP programs offered by Aetna benefits from Aetna's "whole member" focus, which takes into account medical, cultural and social factors affecting health care. Each new member receives a welcome call and completes a health risk assessment, which helps to ensure the member receives the most appropriate care for his or her needs.

"We form a bridge connecting the community's uninsured population to programs and services designed specifically for them," explained Rote. Aetna forms these connections by offering the following programs and services:

--A bilingual community outreach team speaks at local health fairs, church groups and schools to ensure that people know how to enroll in the program. At these events, the team distributes Medicaid/CHIP applications, bilingual health information and childhood immunization schedules. The team also provides local community events calendars so that people are aware of educational sessions on topics like diabetes, asthma and hypertension.

--Medicaid and CHIP print materials are available in English and Spanish.

--Translation services are available at provider offices if needed.

--Aetna offers customer service in Spanish and coordinates with a service to support clients in additional languages.

--The company's Medicaid and CHIP member service center is located in Texas.

Aetna was one of several health plans selected by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide Medicaid and CHIP services in the Bexar and Tarrant service areas. Currently, the Bexar service area has nearly 154,958 Medicaid-eligible individuals and 22,418 CHIP-eligible children and teens. The Bexar service area covers eight counties: Bexar, Atascosa, Comal, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, Wilson and Bandera (CHIP only). In the Tarrant service area, there are approximately 113,712 Medicaid-eligible individuals and 27,123 CHIP-eligible children and teens. The Tarrant service area covers six counties: Tarrant, Denton, Hood, Johnson, Parker and Wise.

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 28.3 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, long-term care and disability plans, and medical management capabilities. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com

(1) Urban Institute and Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured estimates based on March 2003 and 2004 Current Population Surveys