Aetna Better Health, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia reach agreement for Medicaid program

Aetna Better Health^SM in Pennsylvania and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia announced today that they have reached agreement on a new contract that adds the hospital to the Medicaid provider's network in Pennsylvania. The new contract is effective immediately.

“We strive to provide our members with access to high-quality hospitals and physicians”

Aetna Better Health, Aetna's (NYSE: AET) Medicaid business, was awarded a contract by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and began offering a managed care Medicaid program in the Commonwealth on April 1.

"We are pleased to announce this agreement, which enables Children's Hospital to continue its mission of providing the highest-quality health care to children in our region," said Madeline Bell, chief operating officer at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "As a participating provider, we are excited to work with Aetna Better Health and offer families access to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the CHOP Care Network."

"We strive to provide our members with access to high-quality hospitals and physicians," said Deborah Nichols, chief executive officer of Aetna Better Health in Pennsylvania. "Children's Hospital is the nation's leading pediatric hospital and has a well-deserved reputation for its dedication to the children it serves, exceptional clinical care and cutting-edge pediatric research."

Aetna has a long-time presence in the Pennsylvania market. Aetna provides and administers health benefits for more than one million commercial members in the state. The company has offered a Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for 28,000 low-income Pennsylvania children since 1993, four years before the federal government established its CHIP program.

Aetna Better Health will open a new office next month at 2000 Market St., Philadelphia.