AETNA DONATES $1.275 MILLION TO SUPPORT
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. NATIONAL MEMORIAL PROJECT

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 7, 2011 — Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced today that it has donated $1.275 million to support the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project. Construction of the Memorial is under way, in preparation for the August 28 dedication.

At a National Press Club event entitled "Investing in the Dream for Equality,” Aetna CEO and President Mark T. Bertolini announced that a portion of Aetna’s gift will assist in the planting of 185 new cherry trees at the MLK Memorial site on the National Mall, adding their snowy petals to the Mall’s famed cherry blossom display each spring.

"Dr. King taught us that ‘America’s true strength lies in its diversity of talents,’ and that our future rests on hope and possibility,” Bertolini said. "His vision rings very true among Aetna employees and the people we serve every day.”

Aetna this year is marking 10 years of actively targeting and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health care. The company was the first insurer to invite its members to share – on a self-identified, voluntary basis -- racial and ethnic information, and millions of people participated. Aetna has used the data to target hypertension and diabetes among African-American people, and asthma and diabetes among Latinos.

"The information has helped Aetna better understand how different communities are being served by the health care system,” Bertolini said. "We are working to make quality health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.”

At today’s event, Harry E. Johnson Sr., president and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Foundation, shared initial details about the Dedication Ceremony for the Memorial, which will occur August 28 at 11 a.m. Complete details about the Dedication will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We are deeply grateful to Aetna and humbled by their generous gift, which will help support the Foundation’s efforts to build a national memorial in our nation’s capital to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King,” Johnson said.

About the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.
A Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is being built on the National Mall, situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. to establish a Memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring Dr. King. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on Nov. 13, 2006, and the Memorial will be completed in 2011. McKissack & McKissack, Turner Construction Company, Tompkins Builders Inc., and Gilford Corporation Joint Venture serve as the design-build team. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.buildthedream.org.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, 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.

 

ON-LINE VOTERS SELECT LATINO HEALTH ACCESS AS WINNER
OF ‘AETNA VOICES OF HEALTH’ CAMPAIGN

WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 31, 2011 — Latino Health Access, a Santa Ana, Calif.-based organization whose community health workers help thousands of people improve individual and family health behaviors each year, has been chosen to receive first prize in the "Aetna Voices of Health” national recognition campaign.

Aetna (NYSE: AET) created "Aetna Voices of Health” to complement its support for the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project. The campaign honors organizations that promote King’s vision of individual empowerment, while also sharing Aetna’s goals of closing racial and ethnic health care quality gaps and helping people live healthier lives.

Latino Health Access was selected for the $25,000 first prize in an on-line competition that ran from late August through early October. The $15,000 second prize went to Berean Community and Family Life Center of New York City, and the $10,000 third-place award went to the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Latino Health Access received 126,689 votes. In total, nearly 640,000 people participated in the online voting.

"We’re thrilled by the tremendous response to the ‘Aetna Voices of Health’ campaign, and we congratulate Latino Health Access for winning the competition and the top grant,” said Floyd W. Green III, Aetna’s head of Community Relations and Urban Marketing. "The work of Latino Health Access has touched so many people in their community; meeting them where they live, speaking to them in their own language, and showing them a better, healthier way of life. Latino Health Access truly reflects the spirit of Dr. King, as well as Aetna’s commitment to end racial and ethnic disparities in health care.”

Latino Health Access helps uninsured, underserved people through quality preventive services and educational programs that emphasize personal responsibility and full participation in decisions that affect health. A notable aspect of its approach is the use of promotores de salud (“community health workers”) who teach and engage community members on a peer-to-peer level. Those receiving peer-to-peer support are first- or second-generation immigrants, with limited or no health insurance, who face numerous barriers to health care.

"I am delighted that our organization won the contest for the Aetna Voices of Health award,” said America Bracho, president and CEO of Latino Health Access. “The award will be used to continue our effort to decrease the burden of chronic diseases and create a healthier Orange County. We appreciate Aetna for its focus on the elimination of health disparities, commitment to health care access for all and the opportunity to participate in this contest.”

During 2010, Latino Health Access provided 41,126 outreach contacts, and served a total of 3,483 unique clients who received a total of 29,682 services.

The "Aetna Voices of Health” campaign honored people who are working to close disparity gaps and promote wellness in communities fighting conditions like asthma, diabetes and childhood obesity, all of which hit people of color at higher rates than the overall population.
Aetna nominated 35 organizations, many of whom it already supports through its philanthropic giving. For more information on the nominated organizations, go to www.aetnavoicesofhealth.com.

Earlier this spring, Aetna announced its donation of $1.275 million to support the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project. A portion of Aetna’s gift will assist in the planting of 180 new cherry trees at the Memorial site on the National Mall.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, 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.