Aetna Introduces Health Plans for Small Businesses as Part of California Expansion Strategy

In a "much-anticipated move," Connecticut-based insurer Aetna on Wednesday introduced several new health plans for employers with four to 50 workers as part of an effort to expand its California business, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. Aetna will offer about 14 different plan designs under their "Pick-a-Plan" approach. The plans will include HMOs, preferred provider organizations and exclusive provider organizations. The Daily News reports that the plans are part of Aetna's new group of plans that allow employers and employees to chose how much to pay for monthly premiums compared with out-of-pocket expenses incurred when receiving services. "We have analyzed what we need to do in California," Chris Hakim, Aetna's general manager for California small group products, said. Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, said that he is concerned that such plans will cause employees to pay more for their benefits, but he added that some health care companies are using such plans to "simply mak[e] it easier for businesses to gain access to health care" (Pondel, Los Angeles Daily News, 1/8).