Aetna Welcomes Hospital For Special Surgery

New York hospital is a global leader in musculoskeletal medicine

Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) today announced a new agreement on a three-year contract that adds the hospital to Aetna’s provider network. The agreement became effective July 1, 2008.

“We are very pleased that with this agreement, members of Aetna’s network-based commercial plans will be able to receive covered patient services, at in-network rates, from Hospital for Special Surgery,” said Michael Hudson, president of Aetna’s Northeast Region. The agreement does not apply to Aetna’s Medicare members or to its workers compensation business products.

“This agreement further strengthens Aetna’s robust metro-New York network, adding the world’s leading hospital for orthopedics and rheumatology and a growing number of orthopedic surgeons and rheumatologists who practice at HSS, as well as HSS departments of anesthesiology, radiology, rehabilitation and pathology,” said Glenn Pomerantz, MD, JD, regional medical director, Aetna Northeast. “HSS is widely recognized for its high quality care and outcomes, and we believe the addition of this hospital to our network will come as great news to our members across the country.”

Hospital for Special Surgery is located at 535 East 70th Street in Manhattan. The 162 bed hospital, which pioneered the first modern total knee replacement, was ranked number one in orthopedics and number three in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report magazine in its 2007 “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Areas of expertise, in addition to joint replacement, include spine surgery, sports medicine, orthopedic trauma, hand surgery and foot and ankle surgery.

“HSS is committed to providing exceptional patient care,” said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO, Hospital for Special Surgery. “We are pleased that Aetna members will have the opportunity to access our services on an in-network basis and we look forward to a positive, long-term relationship with Aetna for the benefit of its members.”