Aetna Launches Medicare Mobile Field Enrollment Tool For iPad®

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced that it will launch a new Mobile Field Enrollment tool for iPad for its in-field Medicare sales agents and brokers. Licensed Aetna agents and brokers will now have access to a secure, efficient and easy-to-use alternative to paper applications. This tool will allow them to capture Medicare enrollment applications in an online or offline mode on the iPad, providing a straightforward, user-friendly experience for consumers enrolling in an Aetna Medicare plan.

“The new tool lets brokers take in-office capabilities straight to their customers, wherever they are”

The tool was developed by DRX (formerly Destination Rx), a leading provider of Medicare plan comparison tools, technology and data.

“Aetna is a leader in providing tools that are simple, efficient and configured for the unique needs of our constituents. The DRX Mobile Field Enrollment tool for iPad will provide an engaging user experience both for our brokers and agents, and the customers we both serve,” said David Firestone, national head of distribution for Aetna Medicare.

Brokers and agents will be able to complete applications for consumers, or let the consumers fill out the application themselves on an iPad, even when they don’t have an internet connection available. By streamlining the process, it can bring cost savings to brokers and agents.

“The new tool lets brokers take in-office capabilities straight to their customers, wherever they are,” Firestone said. “Best of all, it streamlines the process for agents, eliminates errors that can happen when paper applications are processed manually, and speeds up the application and approval process for the consumer.”

The iPad tool:

Electronically captures and submits enrollment information directly from the iPad, eliminating the redundancies of paper submissions.
Is available offline, making it easy to enroll beneficiaries even when no Internet connection is available at the point of sale – such as at community events.
Immediately detects input errors or missing information, eliminating errors and expediting processing.
Automatically updates plan data in the application to ensure consumers are presented with current plan information.
Reports on the broker or agent’s enrollment activity through the iPad, including completed enrollments and utilization metrics.
Includes security measures to protect consumers’ data.

In pilot testing during Medicare’s 2012 Annual Enrollment Period, the tool decreased application processing time, yielding significant cost savings. It also significantly reduced the time required for in-field Medicare sales agents to complete applications and collect commissions. Agents estimated that the time saved by using the tool would allow them to see 20 percent more clients each week.

The application is available now to Aetna’s brokers and agents, in time for Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period.

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.

iPad is a trademark of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.