CoventryCares Medicaid Plan Changes Name to Aetna Better Health of Virginia

CoventryCares of Virginia, a state-contracted Medicaid managed health care plan, is changing its name to Aetna Better Health of Virginia, effective April 1, 2016. The change is the result of the acquisition of Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc. by Aetna Inc. (NYSE: AET) in May 2013. Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., a commercial business, is not changing its name.

Services provided by the Medicaid health plan will not change. The provider network also will remain the same. CoventryCares (Aetna Better Health) provides access to services for more than 40,500 CoventryCares members, delivered through its contracted network of more than 9,400 individual providers, 1,150 ancillary providers and 65 hospitals in Virginia. All member benefits, such as doctor and hospital coverage, childhood immunizations, medical equipment and preventive exams, will continue to be covered benefits. Aetna also will open a new customer service unit in its Richmond, Va., office, adding 10 new positions.

"We are committed to keeping Virginians healthy and ensuring they have access to the care they need when they need it," said Roger Gunter, chief executive officer of Aetna Better Health of Virginia... "While transitions are always challenging, they also are opportunities to position our organization for long-term growth and operational excellence. The name change reflects our pride in being part of the Aetna family.”

In March 2015, the plan received full health plan accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). NCQA accreditation evaluates how well a health plan manages all parts of its delivery system -- physicians, hospitals, other providers and administrative services -- in order to continuously improve health care for its members.

Aetna Better Health of Virginia will offer a variety of value-added extra programs and services, including a free cell phone program that allows unlimited texting and calls to Member Services. Aetna Better Health will provide integrated care management for members, a service that is especially valuable for those with chronic, acute or high-risk health care needs, such as high-risk pregnancies. The health plan provides for comprehensive pre-natal and post-natal care to ensure expected mothers and their babies receive the best care possible.

Providers will benefit from increased innovative technologies to support data integration, helping them identify gaps in care and preventive screening needs for members, expediting prior authorization decisions and in identifying high-risk members who need preventive member education and support.

Plan members or providers with questions should contact Member Services at 1-800-279-1878.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving an estimated 46.5 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, workers' compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna's 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 and learn about how Aetna is helping to build a healthier world. @AetnaNews

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