Innovative Aetna ValuePass Card Provides Consumers a Whole New Way to Access Dental Care

Aetna ValuePass ^SM Offers 15%-50% in Dental Savings

• Allows consumers to access dental care on a “pay as you go” basis, purchasing only the care that they need, when they need it and at affordable prices
• Provides access to dental discounts to 132 million Americans without dental insurance or those with limited dental plans¹
• Allows employers flexibility to contribute to employees’ individual dental spending
• Patent pending card covers all dental work including cosmetic procedures and orthodontia

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aetna (NYSE: AET) Dental has introduced an innovative pre-paid card that gives consumers access to dental care on a “pay as you go basis”, with no insurance plan or membership fee required. The Aetna ValuePass^SM, a pre-paid MasterCard^®, empowers consumers to manage their dental care by allowing them to pre-pay for discounted services and receive care when needed. Research shows a direct connection between oral health and overall health, yet 132 million Americans do not have dental insurance and many have plans with limited coverage.

“We are excited to be the first health care company to offer a solution for consumers without dental coverage or who have limited dental plans”

“We are excited to be the first health care company to offer a solution for consumers without dental coverage or who have limited dental plans,” said Dan Fishbein, MD head of Aetna’s Group Insurance, Dental, Vision and Consumer Financial Solutions businesses. “The ValuePass^SM also is a solution for employers who don’t offer dental benefits and is especially helpful to retirees, part-time workers, and those who can’t afford dental insurance. The ValuePass^SM is another way Aetna is helping people get the care they need.”

Aetna First to the Market

Purchased online, the Aetna ValuePass^SM allows consumers access to affordable dental care through the Aetna Dental^® Access national network of dentists. Most importantly, the card allows consumers to only purchase the amount of care they need. The card can be used to pay for discounted dental services from any Aetna provider participating in the Aetna Dental Access network. The cost is deducted from the card at the time of purchase – much like a debit card. The card is not insurance; there are no referrals, claims, membership fees or waiting for reimbursement. Funds loaded onto the card never expire. Aetna ValuePass^SM users receive:

• Dental savings on any procedure, including cosmetic and orthodontia.
• Network provider location choice.
• Convenience – no claims, referrals or membership fees.
• Re-loadable card – available to use whenever the consumer chooses.
• Security – the card is built with security measures to protect against unauthorized use if lost or stolen.

Who Can Benefit from Aetna’s ValuePass^SM?

The ValuePass^SM card allows consumers to customize dental care to meet their unique needs. This offering is of particular interest to:

• Individual purchasers of healthcare.
• The uninsured and underinsured.
• Retirees.
• Part-time workers.

How it Helps Employers

Employers can now offer their employees affordable dental care with virtually no investment. The card provides employers with the flexibility to fund all or a portion of the card’s value. Employers can also provide the card as an option to employees as a voluntary offering with no employer financial contribution. Other benefits to employers are:

• Ease of use with virtually no administrative costs.
• A national brand with an expansive dental care network.
• The ability to attract and retain talented employees.

“Dental benefits help employees stay healthy but are sometimes out of the financial reach of employers, especially small businesses,” said Dr. Mary Lee Conicella, chief dental officer for Aetna. “The Aetna ValuePass^SM is an affordable way for employers to provide quality dental care to their employees.”

Aetna is partnering with MasterCard, Convergence Health, UMB Bank and StoreFinancial, industry experts in the fields of pre-paid cards, ecommerce web development, card processing and banking.

To learn more about Aetna ValuePass^SM and Aetna’s other dental products, visit www.aetnavaluepass.com.

1. National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) 2011 survey data, US population 308 million

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.7 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services and health information technology services. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.