HARTFORD, Conn., November 14, 2008 — Aetna today introduced i.ChooseSM, a personal benefits solution initially offered for dental, life, accident and disability insurance purchased on either an employer- or employee-paid basis. Traditionally, voluntary plans are defined as benefits where employees pay at least 50 percent of the total premium; however, i.Choose can support any contribution percentage. Aetna will expand the i.Choose portfolio of products as market demand increases.
"As health care costs continue to rise, both employers and their employees are looking for the ability to choose benefits with the right balance of cost and value for their own needs," said Barbara T. Howe, head of Voluntary Products and Services for Aetna. "The i.Choose benefits are an example of Aetna's ability to develop and package innovative products and services to meet the varying needs of our customers and their employees."
The i.Choose benefits solution provides employees with the following:
- Group rates and plan choice;
- Online enrollment and online billing in any or all plans offered by employers for simplified administration, and;
- Cost estimator tools and other information within the enrollment system to help make benefit decisions.
The i.Choose benefits solution provides employers with the following:
- Ability to attract and retain workers by offering a broad range of benefits that large companies typically offer, at low cost or even no cost to the employer;
- Online billing capabilities, including bill paying and reviewing previous invoices;
- Online enrollment capabilities that automatically determine whether an employee needs to provide evidence of insurability, and;
- On-demand reporting of employee and benefit information.
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 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 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. www.aetna.com.