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Aetna Chooses LifeMasters To Enhance Its Diabetes Disease Management Program Providing Greater Member Access And Choice

-- National Organization Will Provide Services for Enriched Diabetes Disease Management Program --

HARTFORD, Conn., April 17 -- Aetna announced today that it has chosen LifeMasters Supported SelfCare(TM) to provide services to create a more intensive and interactive diabetes disease management program. LifeMasters will supplement Aetna's enhanced Healthy Outlook Program(R), Caring for Diabetes, across the country.

Aetna already offers participation in Caring for Diabetes to 200,000 members living with diabetes. Members can elect to receive educational materials and/or case management. Aetna also provides, at no charge, blood glucose monitors to members with diabetes to measure blood sugar levels. By contracting with a national organization that focuses exclusively on managing chronic illness, Aetna will be able to enrich its program by offering members with diabetes access to more intensive disease management services such as increased monitoring of the disease and enhanced communication among the physician, patient and disease management nurse.

“Aetna's experience in providing disease management services to our members has taught us that targeted interventions, education and member involvement in their own care can play a significant role in enhancing the quality of life for members who are living with chronic diseases," said Aetna Chief Medical Officer William C. Popik, M.D. "Through our contract with LifeMasters for our Caring for Heart Failure program, we already are familiar with their willingness and ability to work within our unique disease management framework. We look forward to a continued relationship with this well-respected organization to strengthen our Caring for Diabetes program, and believe that the skills and experience LifeMasters possesses will enhance the services available to our members with diabetes.”

“Aetna has been an excellent partner in the implementation of our existing congestive heart failure management contract. We are excited to expand our relationship to include diabetes management as well," said LifeMasters Chief Executive Officer Christobel E. Selecky. "LifeMasters' business strategy is based on supporting our customers in the most effective way. We have, for example, developed a flexible technical platform that can accommodate specific customer needs. Aetna's decision to expand our relationship to include diabetes management is clear evidence of Aetna's commitment to supporting its members and physicians through improved disease management services. This is good for their members, good for physicians and good for Aetna's customers."

LifeMasters will offer Aetna members a range of services, including outreach to the primary care physician and member, and assessment and monitoring and educational tools for the member. Members initially will receive information about their disease, as well as a risk-assessment questionnaire to determine the level of support from which they are likely to benefit. The level of appropriate intervention may vary by the severity of the illness, but LifeMasters will call each member who is willing to be contacted at least twice each year, in addition to sending a variety of educational materials. In cases where the member's condition is severe, the member may receive more frequent contact.

In addition to diabetes, Aetna currently offers national disease management services for members with asthma, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease and low back pain. Aetna's Healthy Outlook Program is included in its fully insured HMO, QPOS(R), USAccess(R), Aetna Open Access(TM) HMO and Golden Medicare(R) plans, and can be purchased by self-insured plan sponsors for Managed Choice(R) POS, Open Choice(R) PPO, Elect Choice(R) EPO and Traditional Choice(R) indemnity plans.

About LifeMasters LifeMasters(TM) Supported SelfCare, Inc. provides disease-management programs that create interactive health partnerships among patients, physicians and payors. Available in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, LifeMasters' disease management programs improve quality of care for individuals with chronic illnesses, reduce chronic-disease costs for payors and provide decision-support tools for physicians. Leveraging the most technologically advanced infrastructure in the industry, LifeMasters covers individuals with diabetes, CHF, CAD, COPD and asthma, as well as other co-morbidities.

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Irvine, California, LifeMasters is a leader in the disease management industry. LifeMasters manages patients with chronic illness for some of the nation's leading health plans, employers and governmental organizations, including Aetna, Fallon Community Health Plan, Blue Shield of California, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Capital Blue Cross and Florida Medicaid. More information about LifeMasters can be found at http://www.lifemasters.com or by calling 1-800-760-9261.

About Aetna Aetna (NYSE: AET) is one of the nation's leading providers of health care and related group benefits, serving 15.6 million health care members, 12.4 million dental members and 11.5 million group insurance customers, as of January 1, 2002. Information about Aetna is available at http://www.aetna.com.