AETNA INSURANCE COMPANY

Helping to manage health care, one of the most important things in life


We believe we can help create a better health care system. This belief drives our daily decisions as one of the nation�s leading health care benefits companies. We work hard to provide our members with information and resources to help them make informed decisions about their health. Learn more about health care initiatives.

Our mission

We help people achieve health and financial security by providing easy access to cost-effective, high-quality health care. And we continue to be a leader in building a stronger, more effective health care system by working with doctors, hospitals, employers, patients, public officials and others. Learn more about Aetna�s mission.

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.


Aetna Careers

Discover exciting careers at Aetna.  Whether you�re an experienced professional, a recent grad or a student, there could be Aetna jobs and career opportunities for you.  Health care is an ever-changing business. But one thing will never change � Aetna�s commitment to bringing value to our customers and putting them at the center of
everything we do.

      Vision and strategy
Our Vision

To earn the distinction, financially and by reputation, of being the preferred benefits company in all aspects of our business. We strive to be the industry leader by including the best ideas and perspectives available. This in turn enables Aetna to develop the most relevant solutions for each of our markets.

Strategy

Aetna will be the industry leader in the diverse marketplace.

We will deliver best-in-class service to our customers because we want them to be comfortable when doing business with us.

To achieve this mission we will:

- Create innovative and tailored product and service solutions that will meet the unique needs of our customers
- Develop a diverse supplier base reflecting our multicultural environment that supports innovative ways to deliver best-in-class services to them
- Build a workforce that fully understands the diverse communities where we do business
- Foster a culture of inclusion that grows a diverse talent pool and recognizes and rewards the contributions of every employee while allowing employees to do their best work

Why Is Insurance Necessary?

Insurance did not cover risks. It is beneficial to policyholders because it provides them financial security to recover from loss. When buying an insurance policy, a person is essentially declaring that he is willing to pay a certain amount of money to ensure that, should a specific, usually financially injurious event transpire, she or her loved ones would be financially cared for. In many cases, buying insurance prevents a bad situation from becoming much worse. For instance, health insurance can save a person�s life by allowing him access to life-saving medical treatments that would otherwise be unaffordable.

Insurance also help in  retirement plan. We all need to make investments to insure our financial futures. There is no question that, on a very basic level, financial planning tools and knowledge are needs of both genders. But these tools and knowledge need to be used differently by women.

Women face some basic realities which are very different than those faced by men

Women still earn 52% less than men doing comparable jobs in the workplace;

Women live an average of 7 years longer than men;

Almost 20% of women are saving nothing for retirement;

Over 61% of women living alone after age 65 have incomes under $15,000;

71% of women over the age of 65 have no pension;

The median annual income for women with a pension is less than $5,000;

Over 58% of female baby boomers have less than $10,000 saved in a pension plan or 401(k) plan;

57% of women aged 65 and older are single;

33% of widowed women become widows by age 50 and nearly 46% are widowed before age 65;

72% of nursing home residents are women;

Women have a much greater need than men to address their financial futures, simply because they are likely to live longer. Women need to look at and respond to that reality. Women need to take control and design their own financial futures.

UK Law Reform

The Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission are conducting a joint review of insurance contract law. The third consultation on the insured�s duty of disclosure and law of warranties was published on 26 June 2012.

Under current law, a business policyholder has a duty to disclose every material fact known about the risk to be insured. Failure to do so may lead the insurer to refuse claims.  In some cases, not every material fact is known.  Information may not be deliberately withheld.  The proposal is that insurers ask the relevant questions to help ensure that every material fact is disclosed. Fairer consequences of breaches where the policyholder was not deliberately misleading are also being proposed.

An insurance warranty is an important term.  Unless the insured exactly complies with the conditions of a policy, the insurer may refuse claims.  It makes no difference if the breach is trivial, not material to the risk or if the policyholder remedies the breach prior to the loss incurred.

For example if a policy requires stock to be stored 6 inches off the floor to minimise flood damage and the insured does not comply, the insurer may not pay a claim following a burglary.

Proposals include that the insurer�s liability is suspended only for the duration of the breach and were applicable be relevant to the particular risk only. This would be subject to freedom of contract for business insurance.

Get in touch, talk through your insurance needs, and make sure you and your business are covered by the right policies.

7 Reasons Why Insurance Companies Don�t Pay Claims

I hope that you have never been in the position to have an insurance claim refused.  If you have, it was probably for one of the following reasons:

1)          The claim was outside the scope of the policy.

                Your policy will only cover the risk specified.  It is important to consider all your risks carefully.  Those you cannot manage or eliminate, you need to insure.

2)          You failed to comply with the terms of the policy.

                There will be certain conditions you will have to meet in order for an insurance company to underwrite your risk.  No company is going to insure a building that has open fires burning in the centre of a warehouse full of flammable stock.  An extreme example I know but it is important to know that your policy is not being invalidated by something you are doing now.

3)          Your policy does not include consequential loss.

                Make sure your policy covers all the risk of any incident.  Particularly consider your ability to continue trading after a major incident.  Your buildings and contents may be insured but how will you remain in business if you have no means of doing business anymore?

4)          You gave false statements when you applied for insurance.

                Your insurance company will only insure what is real.  Lie and the policy will be void.

5)          You failed to pay your premium on time.

                Sounds obvious but you are not insured unless you pay the insurance premium.  Yes, you may feel being a few days late does not matter but if you have not paid your premium you are simply not insured.

6)          You take too long to report the claim.

                Make the claim as soon as possible. 

7)          You failed to disclose all relevant facts.

                Over 11 per cent of corporate insurance buyers have had a claim challenged on non-disclosure grounds in the last two years. Insurance policies are one of only a few contracts in which uberrima fides �utmost good faith� applies.  It is important you inform your insurance broker of all relevant information.

I�ll help with any claims, ensure the paperwork is correct and with the insurance company in good time.

The Bartoline Extension

Incidents happen and thankfully most of these incidents don�t lead to anyone being seriously injured.  The environmental damage can, however, be significant.  Sometimes you need to think about the wider implications of your business�s risks.  This is an example of why��.

Bartoline manufactures a number of items for the home improvement market including solvents and wood care products.  A fire at the company�s premises on 23rd May 2003 lead to significant pollution as chemicals were washed into two local watercourses.

The Environment Agency used its statutory powers under the Water Resources Act 1991 to carry out emergency work to minimise environmental damage and to remove and dispose of contamination.  The Agency then sought to recover costs from Bartoline.

The total costs of the clean up operation, including the requirements the Agency made of Bartoline themselves, amounted to over three quarter of a million pounds.

Bartoline made a claim for these expenses under its public liability policy. Royal and Sun Alliance (RSA), Bartoline�s insurers, refused indemnity, stating that the expenses incurred did not fall within the scope of the policy.

Bartoline took RSA to court in 2006, alleging breach of contract, seeking clarification of the legal meaning of the term "damages" in an insurance context. The judge, however, found in favour of RSA.  The judgement was, in essence, that the liability for damages is based on an actionable wrong. Bartoline�s liability to the Environment Agency was statutory and the money owned to the Agency was a debt.

As a result of this ruling, liability insurers may now provide a �Bartoline extension�, covering the insured for limited costs of clean up required by environmental authorities.

Our Hazardous Haulage Scheme includes a �Bartoline extension�.  If you are concerned about and want to insure against any risk your business may be exposed to in relation to potential environmental damage, please give me a call.

Funny Pictures

In the present hectic lifestyle, people do not get enough time to enjoy life or to sit and relax and just have fun. In this fast-paced life, people always wants to find a quick and amusing source of entertainment. This requirement can be fulfilled with the emergence of the internet, as whenever you feel disheartened or depressed, all you need to do is to connect to the internet and enjoy an array of funny videos and funny pictures. You can easily find countless videos and pictures on the internet, which will surely bring a smile on your pale face. A very good thing about these videos is that you can watch them with your whole family and can enjoy it with gags and smiles. Not only people like watching these videos, but they even like to upload such videos on the internet.

6 Reasons to Use an Insurance Broker

Insurance brokers are experts in the field of insurance.  So as you might expect there are some really good reasons to use a broker.  Here are just 6:

1)          Brokers know what they are looking for. You probably only research the insurance market around your renewal date.  You can save a lot of time by asking a broker to do the searching for you.

2)          Brokers aren�t tied to one or two insurance companies.  So a broker is free to review the whole market on your behalf.

3)          Brokers can match your specific requirements to the myriad of policies available.  Getting the right policy that covers your exact needs could save you thousands of pounds.  It�s too late when the claim goes in to find out that you weren�t actually covered in the first place.  You may think all policies are standard but they are not.  Many businesses need tailored insurance policies depending on actual circumstances.

4)          Brokers are likely to get better terms for their clients.  This isn�t just because of economy of scales.  Brokers do a good deal of business with insurance companies.  They will get a good price.  It isn�t just volume of business that counts, it�s the understanding of the industry too.  Brokers know the insurance companies and brokers know you.  Where you may face reluctance from insurance companies, brokers are able to remove that element of uncertainty and facilitate cover.

5)          Brokers� business is based on reputation.  They won�t recommend something that doesn�t fit.  It�s important to them that they ensure the client understands the risks of their business and transfers the risk (as necessary) to an insurance company.  What develops is a close business relationship based on trust.  That thorough understanding enables you to be covered now and as your business changes.

6)          Brokers can help you with your claim.  Should the worst happen you can rely on your broker to help with the paperwork and the process and enable a speedy payment.

Finally it�s worth noting that brokers have Professional Indemnity cover which gives you the added protection should he get it wrong.  If you'd like any help with your insurance please get in touch.