business
Aetna pushes suppliers to offer health coverage
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 26, 2010
Companies doing business with Aetna will have to show that they provide health insurance to their employees.
Beginning in 2008, Aetna asked the more than 1,300 U.S.-based companies who did at least $50,000 worth of work for the health insurer to offer and subsidize at least catastrophic medical coverage for employees. The coverage could be through any carrier.
Only about 10% did not already offer insurance, and Aetna announced in July that 100% of the suppliers succeeded. Aetna said it would make health coverage for workers part of its contracts with suppliers going forward.
"Even with the adoption of health care reform, it is just as vital as ever that employers exercise their civic responsibility by offering their employees access to health insurance," Aetna Chair and Chief Executive Officer Ron Williams said in a statement.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/07/26/bibf0726.htm.