Aetna and BenefitPoint Join Forces to Offer Employee Benefits Professi

    Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

    HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2005--Aetna (NYSE:AET) and BenefitPoint today announced they have formed a relationship that makes Aetna Dental a preferred vendor for dental benefits. Aetna Dental will be offered to users of the BenefitPoint(R) Aptus(TM) platform, which connects employee benefits professionals and brokers with insurance carriers to purchase benefits packages.
    For the first time, employee benefits professionals and brokers using BenefitPoint will have the opportunity to receive direct support, information and quotations on Aetna Dental's products and capabilities through the BenefitPoint Aptus platform. The goal of this relationship is to broaden distribution and improve efficiency and communication with brokers.
    "We are looking forward to working with BenefitPoint as a preferred vendor to offer our dental products and programs through the Aptus portal," said Pat Farrell, head of Aetna Dental. "We are optimistic that our relationship with BenefitPoint will improve efficiency and communication with the producer community while reducing transaction costs for all parties."
    "Aetna Dental's broad product portfolio, combined with one of the largest networks in the country, will provide benefits professionals and brokers with a variety of choices to meet their customers' needs," said John Randazzo, CEO, BenefitPoint.
    Aetna Dental will participate as a preferred vendor on the BenefitPoint Aptus platform. BenefitPoint reduces transaction costs and directly connects benefits professionals and brokers to easily and quickly obtain quotes from insurers. Brokers who use BenefitPoint will now be able to receive quotes from Aetna Dental for the Dental Maintenance Organization (DMO(R)), dental preferred provider organization (PPO), Indemnity and Freedom-of-Choice plan designs and Aetna's dental discount program, Vital Savings by Aetna(SM). BenefitPoint's streamlined processes can be especially valuable for small and mid-sized groups whose transaction costs are relatively high compared to their budget for dental benefits. BenefitPoint serves more than 400 broker offices and 40,000 employers representing 23 million employees.

    Aetna

    As one of the nation's leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care benefits, Aetna puts information and helpful resources to work for its approximately 13.7 million medical members, 11.9 million dental members, 8.4 million pharmacy members and 13.5 million group insurance members to help them make better informed decisions about their health care and protect their finances against health-related risks. Aetna provides easy access to cost-effective health care through a nationwide network of more than 655,000 health care professionals, including over 390,000 primary care and specialist doctors and 3,937 hospitals. For more information, please visit www.aetna.com. (Figures as of December 31, 2004)

    BenefitPoint

    BenefitPoint, the industry's leading customer relationship management (CRM) and procurement software platform, makes it easier for employee benefits professionals to manage, buy and sell benefits. Brokers, consultants and carriers realize expanded business opportunities, operational efficiencies and a greater ability to deliver quality information and services to employers and employees. Aptus, BenefitPoint's CRM and procurement product, has been widely adopted by the industry. More than 400 broker and consultant offices use the product, managing 40,000 employer clients with over 40 million lives and approximately $105 billion in premium. Over 420 carrier organizations use BenefitPoint to access broker and consultant requests for proposal and renewal requests. The company, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, can be reached at 415-277-5700. Take a tour of the BenefitPoint Aptus Product Demo on the corporate website at www.benefitpoint.com.

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CONTACT: Aetna Kate Prout, 215-775-6264 Proutkf@aetna.com or BenefitPoint Libby Foster, 415-277-5621 libby.foster@benefitpoint.com

KEYWORD: CONNECTICUT INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INSURANCE MEDICAL MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Aetna

Copyright Business Wire 2005