Aetna, Inc. (NYSE: AET) is an American diversified health-care benefits company, providing a range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life, long-term care, and disability plans, and medical management capabilities.

It is the direct descendant of Aetna Insurance Company, of Hartford, Connecticut, which issued its first life insurance policy in 1850, a full thirty years after it had been chartered to enter the business.

Aetna merged with U.S. Healthcare — 1996. Aetna was one of only eleven companies to earn a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index in 2002, the first year of the survey. It has maintained this rating in 2003 and 2004.

Aetna membership

Aetna covers health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability, and long-term care insurance and employee benefits.[1].

• 14.65 million — medical members
• 13.03 million — dental members
• 9.34 million — pharmacy members
• 13.68 million — group insurance members
• 700,000+ — health-care professionals
• 418,000+ — primary-care doctors and specialists
• 4,231 — hospitals

Key people

It was announced on January 4, 2006 that President Ronald Williams will succeed Dr. John W. Rowe as CEO as of February 14, 2006. Rowe will become Executive Chairman until he retires at the end of 2006. [2]

• Ron Williams - Chief Executive Officer
• Dr. John Wallis Rowe, M.D. - Executive Chairman
• Alan M. Bennett - Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
• Meg McCarthy - Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer
• William H. Donaldson - Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Aetna was one of eleven companies to earn a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index in 2002, the first year of the survey. It has maintained this rating in 2003 and 2004.