Aetna introduces new IHP for employees to adopt healthy behaviours

Aetna (NYSE: AET), a leading global diversified health care benefits company, today announced the launch of a new suite of International Healthcare Plans (IHP) for employers with globally mobile employees. Aetna has revamped its core health benefits plans to respond to customer and member needs and included its industry-leading health risk assessment free of charge as part of its package of wellness tools and resources to encourage employees to adopt healthy behaviours.

Employers can select from one of four base plans then choose from a menu of up to 49 additional benefits and limits. This gives employers flexibility in providing private health care cover for employees working around the world to maximize their health care investment and manage costs.

"We recognise that employers need a comprehensive level of core health benefits and flexibility in plan design in order to meet the needs of their varied employee populations," said Donna Otten, head of Aetna Global Benefits (AGB), the organisation's international benefits segment. "We have redesigned our health plans to provide a richer level of base benefits to work with different budgets and included wellness features to help employees make positive changes that can lead to lasting healthy lifestyles. At the same time, we've provided the most flexible selection of add-ons and limits yet, so that employers can purchase the features they need to tailor benefits packages to cater for regionally diverse needs and make the most of their health care investments."

For example, employers taking advantage of this flexibility can provide different benefits for employees working in different regions, such as coverage for traditional Chinese medicine, or extended evacuation assistance for employees who travel more frequently than others. These employees can be covered on an alternate plan design.

The IHP Essential, IHP Plus and IHP Elite plans include new benefits of hospice care; vaccinations and inoculations; compassionate emergency travel enabling expatriates to return home should a close family member be taken seriously ill, and prosthesis coverage, depending on the plan chosen. AGB also offers an IHP core plan design. The plans are available immediately in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong, and will be rolled out over the coming months in China, Jakarta and Singapore.

IHP Plan Features and Enhancements

All plans cover:

• Accident & emergency cover outside the designated geographic area that provides full refund for inpatient emergency hospital treatment for new conditions when using an provider in Aetna's network.;
• Innocent bystander cover for members injured as a result of conflict, civil unrest or terrorism;
• Congenital anomalies cover which has been extended to include conditions identified in child dependents up to 12 months old; and
• Improved waiting periods for dental and pregnancy cover. Plan sponsors with 10 employees or more can remove waiting periods entirely.

New IHP Optional Benefits

These now include;

• Infertility treatment;
• Routine or restorative dental, and orthodontic options;
• Extended emergency evacuation;
• Routine pregnancy;
• Wellness and vision options; and
• Traditional Chinese medicine.

Tailoring benefits

Many of the above options can be flexed. For example, while all plans cover complications of pregnancy, employers opting to include routine pregnancy can choose from eight benefit limits and co-pays. Extending its health and wellness theme, AGB's wellness benefit now includes three levels of cover making quality health care more affordable and more accessible.

IHP Wellness Benefits and Resources

IHP members also have access to Aetna's wellness resources and services to help them achieve optimum health and productivity, including the online AGB wellness centre, cancer outreach programme, and a health risk assessment tool available in 12 languages and customised to fit cultural differences. This affords employers the ability to proactively manage claims costs and identify health trends affecting their employees' performance. The health risk assessment provides employees with information about their personal health needs and motivates them to make lasting positive changes. The online assessment can also help them understand possible health risks, and provides an action plan and information that encourages healthy behaviours.