USHCC, Aetna patner to offer affordable health coverage

United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC), the nation's premier voice for Hispanic business in America, has teamed up with Aetna to provide affordable, high quality health coverage to its members.

"Our agreement with Aetna represents a big win for America's small businesses, which account for 65 percent of new jobs in the U.S. and employ half of our country's workforce," says USHCC Chairman Nina Vaca. "Working with Aetna, we can help address a major concern for our small businesses needing to have access to health care coverage."

Individual plans will be made available to USHCC members through this agreement and will include expanded services not offered in Aetna's standard plans, including a new consumer portal for online services and a Member Assistance Program. The plans will be offered initially in Florida, Pennsylvania, and Texas but will be expanded to more than 200 local chambers and nearly three million Hispanic businesses across the country.

USHCC members and their families will be able to select from a wide variety of plan options, including PPO-style plans; high-deductible health plans compatible with health savings accounts; preventive and hospital plans that combine coverage for preventive care with catastrophic coverage for services like inpatient hospital care and outpatient surgery; and an optional dental PPO plan.

"We are honored to work with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to fulfill their mission and help Hispanic-owned businesses across the country achieve their goals," says Aetna Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini.

In addition to the different plan choices, Aetna will offer value-added options such as a Member Assistance Program (MAP) and Concierge Services, which can help individuals better manage work and life issues. USHCC members will also be able to obtain Vital Savings by Aetna® discount cards for Dental and Pharmacy services.

"This groundbreaking program benefits Hispanic business enterprises that comprise a very important segment of the U.S. population and continue to contribute to our economy. Aetna has a long-standing, proven track record of providing affordable, reliable and comprehensive health insurance and through this agreement we can proudly say that steps are being made to bridge the gap and provide this type of critically needed coverage to Hispanic business owners and their employees," says USHCC President and CEO Javier Palomarez.

USHCC members will have access to a new consumer portal for online quoting and rating, as well as dedicated telephonic access to Aetna sales representatives. Once enrolled, members will have access to a number of different resources, such as Aetna Navigator®, Aetna's password-protected member website, as well as the CareEngine-powered Personal Health Record (PHR).