Aetna begun selling new Aetna BodyGuard Plans to individuals
28 07 08 - 12:16
For Your Protection: Aetna Introduces BodyGuard Plans for Young Adults Because 'Stuff Happens'
-- New Plans Give Individuals More Affordable Options That Provide Health and Financial Security --
HARTFORD, Conn., Jul 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- According to the latest U.S. Census report on health insurance,(1) young adults are by far the most likely age group to be uninsured. More than 8 million individuals (29 percent) between the ages of 18 and 24 fall into this category, as do nearly 11 million individuals (27 percent) between 25 and 34.
Unfortunately, too often 'stuff happens' to people in this age group, and they face huge financial liabilities from unexpected health events like accidents, illnesses or diseases.
To address this issue, Aetna announced today that it has begun selling new Aetna BodyGuard Plans to individuals, with rates starting at only $40 per month. Three easy-to-understand products, which will become effective on August 1, were designed with young adults in mind and are available online at www.AetnaBodyGuard.com.
They will initially be offered in Illinois, with plans to expand their availability to additional states in the future. Advertising and promotions for the BodyGuard plans begin in the Chicagoland area this month, including a major sponsorship of the Chicago Sport & Social Club, a networking organization with more than 70,000 participants that focuses on connecting active young adults in the Chicago area.
"Young adults have very different priorities than most other individuals when it comes to health insurance, and we developed the Aetna BodyGuard plans to try to meet those unique needs," said Frank McCauley, head of Aetna's Consumer Business Segment. "We think these plans offer affordable choices for individuals who usually have a number of competing financial interests, and will also give these individuals a much-needed safeguard for their health and financial well-being."
Finding the Right Plan
Within the uninsured young adult population, there is a wide range of preferences for health insurance. This is why Aetna created three different BodyGuard plans - Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.
These plans offer varying premiums and levels of coverage and give individuals the opportunity to find the plan that best suits their particular situation. Despite the low cost, these are not limited-benefits plans. Instead, the plans focus on the type of coverage that young adults are most likely to use, helping to keep the premiums low.
For example, the prescription drug sections of the Basic and Intermediate plans provide coverage only for generic prescription drugs. This eliminates one of the plan elements that often increases the overall premium cost. However, since this is an active group that is sometimes prone to accidents, Aetna has increased the Emergency Care benefit from its standard Individual plans.
In addition to the health insurance plans, individuals also have the option of adding a Dental plan for $14 a month.
Young adults can find out more about these plans and view a side-by-side comparison at www.AetnaBodyGuard.com, where they can also receive price quotes and apply online. This website also contains a new tool that allows users to select their personal preferences on different aspects of a health insurance plan, such as prescription drug coverage, out-of-pocket costs and how frequently they will use medical services, among others. The tool then helps identify which BodyGuard plan is the best fit.
"We want to make the process of applying for individual health insurance as simple and convenient as possible, and for young adults, that means being able to go through the whole process online," McCauley said.
All three plans provide access to health care providers in Aetna's extensive national network, as well as a number of other valuable tools and resources, including:
-- Aetna Navigator(R) secure member self-service website, as well as Aetna's CareEngine(R)-powered Personal Health Record, which allows members to keep all their personal health information in one secure, online location.
-- Aetna Rx Home Delivery(R) service, which gives members the convenience of receiving prescription medication through the mail.
-- Aetna Vision(SM) discounts, which provides members with special savings on eye exams, contact lenses, frames, lenses, LASIK eye surgery and eye care accessories.
Health Benefits Basics
In many instances, young adults are dealing with health insurance on their own for the first time. In addition to containing specific information on the BodyGuard plans, the new website also includes several sections that can help individuals improve their general knowledge of health insurance:
-- Health Insurance Basics includes questions and answers on some common health insurance topics and is a good place for individuals to start in their search for an individual plan.
-- Comparing Health Insurance Plans includes a number of important items that individuals should consider as they go through the process of choosing a health insurance plan.
Over the past few years, Aetna has made numerous efforts to help educate all consumers, and not just Aetna members, on how to better understand and use their health benefits. This includes Plan for Your Health ( www.planforyourhealth.com), a public education campaign from Aetna and the Financial Planning Association that provides consumers with information to help them make health benefits and financial choices; the Navigating Your Health Benefits For Dummies(R) guide, which assists readers through every step of their health benefits cycle; and All About The Benefits ( www.allaboutthebenefits.com), a website designed specifically to help inform young adults about health benefits.
"In addition to providing the right products and services, we think it is incredibly important to educate young adults on the basics of health insurance, and why it is important for them to have health insurance," McCauley said. "The BodyGuard website and our other resources will truly help young adults better understand the importance and value of health benefits."
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. www.aetna.com
Click here for individual and Family health insurance online quote with major health insurance carriers.