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HARTFORD, Conn.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Beginning with the upcoming school year, Aetna (NYSE: [ AET ]) Student Health will now offer the Aetna Vision^SM Preferred plan along with medical plans in 20 states. The Aetna Vision Preferred plan offers members the ability to save money on routine eye exams, contact lenses, eye glasses, eye glass accessories and LASIK eye surgery.

"This product offers students affordable vision services including routine exams as well as eyewear."

aGood vision is fundamental to a college education, whether it is reading in a textbook, online or on a whiteboard,a says Wayne Rawlins, MD, medical director for Aetna Student Health. aThis product offers students affordable vision services including routine exams as well as eyewear.a

With Aetna Vision Preferred, students can go where they want, when they want and buy what they want. The network offers access to more than 52,000 vision offices and retailers. The majority of the network is made up of local private practice doctors of Optometry and Ophthalmology. The network also offers access to five of the top six leading optical retailers including LensCrafters, Pearle Vision, Sears Optical, JCPenney Optical, and Target Optical.

Aetna is committed to vision wellness, patient education and preventive care. During a routine eye exam, various aspects of vision are checked, including the eyeas structure and how well the eyes work together. Annual eye exams allow eye care providers to monitor the health of the eyes and track changes that can occur from year to year. Besides measuring vision, routine eye exams can help identify early signs of certain chronic health conditions, including: Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, and Eye Disease. As with all illnesses, eye problems when caught early are often easier to treat and manage.

aBy offering Aetna Vision Preferred alongside their medical plan, we can help students receive the care they need if a health issue is noticed during an eye exam,a said Rawlins. aDiagnosing and treating a medical condition in its earliest stage not only helps students stay healthy, but also helps them avoid future medical costs.a

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.7 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services and health information technology services. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see [ www.aetna.com ].

Vision plans are underwritten by Aetna Life Insurance Company (Aetna). Certain claims administrationservices are providedby First American Administrators, Inc.and certain network administrationservices are provided through EyeMed Vision Care, LLC.