Aetna to Offer Six New PPO Plans in Illinois

November 2, 2004 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Aetna has announced that it has begun marketing six new preferred provider organization (PPO) plans for families and individuals in 62 Illinois counties.

The six plans are comprised of two high-deductible plans and four PPO plans. The high-deductible plans are compatible with health savings accounts (HSA), the new health plans that will be available in January that combine a high-deductible plan with a tax-free savings account for medical expenses.

The four PPOs, called Aetna Advantage PPO plans, offer members the option of going directly to doctors without referrals, Aetna said is a press release. The plans cover preventative care, routine checkups, specialty care, chiropractic care, hospitalization and surgery, diagnostic testing, emergency care and urgent care, the company said. These are subject to copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. They also cover prescription drugs; however, there is no deductible for generic prescriptions. If members chose a health care professional from Aetna’s network of physicians and hospitals, costs will be lower, the company stated.

Members also have the option of enrolling in Aetna’s Basic Dental plan if they choose one of the six new plans being offered. The dental coverage extends to preventative and diagnostic services for what the company says are ‘small’ copayments.

Aetna ( www.aetna.com ) is a provider of health care and other benefits, and has approximately 13.6 million medical plan members.

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