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NEW ALBANY, Ohio--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aetna Better Health of Ohio, an Aetna (NYSE: [ AET ]) company that was named as one of five health insurance companies to administer a health plan in Ohio for individuals receiving both Medicare and Medicaid coverage, announced today it has chosen to implement plans in the central, southwest, and northwest regions of the state.

"Ohio's Area Agencies on Aging also looks forward to working closely with Aetna Better Health and other companies around the state implementing the Integrated Care Delivery System pilot program"

Insurance companies were scored based on a competitive bidding process. Companies with a high enough score in more than three of seven regions in the state were eligible to choose their service areas. Aetna Better Health of Ohio was one of the highest scoring plans.

aWe chose these regions because of the strong partnerships we already have with physicians, community agencies and other providers in the Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo areas,a said Jan Stallmeyer, senior vice president, Central Region, for Aetna Medicaid. aWe look forward to building on those partnerships to promote innovations that improve preventive care, care coordination and integrated behavioral and physical health.a

Dual eligibles can start enrolling in these health plans beginning in April of 2013. Dual eligibles - those eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid - often require more care than a typical Medicare or Medicaid recipient.

The stateas new plan will change the way care is delivered and paid for by better coordinating the long-term care, behavioral-health and physical-health services provided to these patients. The state's new model of care, called an integrated care delivery system, is based on the following:

• Individuals will receive person-centered care through a delivery system designed to address all of the individualas physical health, behavioral health, long-term care, and social needs.
• Individuals will have access to the services they need in the setting they choose.
• The delivery system will be easy to navigate for both the individuals receiving services and the providers delivering the services.
• Individuals will be able to transition seamlessly among settings and programs as their needs change.
• Incentives in the system will be focused on performance outcomes related to better health, better care, and lower costs through improvement.

aWeare excited to be a part of the stateas plans to implement this new model that promises to provide better care, while at the same time, saves money,a said Stallmeyer.

aOhio's Area Agencies on Aging also looks forward to working closely with Aetna Better Health and other companies around the state implementing the Integrated Care Delivery System pilot program,a said Larke Recchie, executive director of the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging. aThe Area Agencies on Aging are committed to building innovative partnerships that result in better coordination of medical care and the long-term care home and community services for people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.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 ].