URAC names Aetna as a finalist in first-ever Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards

Business Wire, Dec 3, 2007

Aetna to showcase its winning program at the Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection Conference and Exhibit, March 25-26, 2008

WASHINGTON -- URAC announced that a distinguished panel of judges has selected the finalists for its inaugural Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection Awards competition. The nation-wide competition attracted entries detailing innovative and proven programs that are enhancing patient safety and giving consumers more control over their health care. Winners represent health plans, pharmacy benefit management organizations, health care management companies and health information technology companies. Aetna was among the finalists eligible to receive further distinction as an award winner to be announced March, 2008.

The finalists are invited to present their winning programs at the Best Practices in Consumer Empowerment and Protection Conference and Exhibit, to be held March 25-26, 2008 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando. Presentations will showcase working best practices in three categories: consumer decision support, integrated care coordination and patient/consumer safety.

"As our members become more engaged consumers of health care services, it's important to provide them with clear, easy-to-understand information," said Robin Downey, Aetna's head of product development. "Aetna's innovative health care transparency initiatives provide physician and facility-specific cost and clinical quality information to help members make better informed decisions about their health care. Our transparency initiatives join our suite of consumer tools and information available through Aetna Navigator, Aetna's password-protected member website."

"The Best Practices awards and conference will be an opportunity for leaders in health care management to find out what premier companies are really doing to advance consumer protection and empowerment," said Alan Spielman, URAC's president and CEO. "This is a first-of-its-kind conference with national scope that includes entries from health care management organizations big and small, across the health care spectrum."

Entries were judged by a distinguished panel of judges, chaired by epidemiologist Thomas W. Wilson, Ph.D., DrPH, Trajectory HealthCare, LLC. The panel included the best and most widely recognized experts in program evaluation, care coordination, health information technology, employer and purchaser decision making and patient safety. Entries were blinded, then reviewed and scored by the judges based on objective criteria.

All finalists are invited to attend a black tie dinner gala during the conference, at which time they will discover how they will be distinguished as award winners. Gold, Silver and Bronze Best Practices Award winners in each of the four organization categories will be announced at the dinner, as well as winners in the three topic categories, and those receiving Honorable Mention.

"There is tremendous value in recognizing outstanding health care management programs that advance consumer empowerment and protection," Spielman said. "This conference will prepare attendees to apply these best practices to their own programs. It is a groundbreaking mechanism to multiply the positive outcomes of winning programs across the health care management field and to raise the bar on quality for both URAC-accredited and non-accredited organizations."

About URAC

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation and certification programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.4 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, government-sponsored plans and expatriates. www.aetna.com