Nov. 2, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced today that it has reached an agreement with the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) to offer Aetna members in New York City in-network access to in-patient and out-patient services from HHC’s 11 acute care hospitals, six Diagnostic and Treatment Centers and four nursing homes.

The new three-year agreement expands Aetna’s current relationship with HHC’s Elmhurst Hospital Center and Queens Hospital Center. All Aetna plans are covered under the new contract.

“Aetna is happy to announce that all of the HHC facilities will now be included in our New York City network,” said Michael Costa, Aetna’s head of network operations for the New York City market. “This agreement will enhance our ability to offer our members access to a wide range of hospitals and physicians in and around New York City.”

Aetna provides health benefits to approximately 1.8 million members in the New York Metropolitan area. Those members have access to a network that includes 172 contracted hospitals and more than 56,000 health care providers, including primary-care and specialist physicians, in the New York Metropolitan area.

New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation’s hospitals – which are affiliated with all of the city’s major medical schools and comprise the largest municipal hospital system in the country – include six level 1 trauma centers, nine designated stroke centers and two regional perinatal centers. In addition, HHC facilities include the only hospital in New York City to receive a “Baby-Friendly” breast-feeding achievement designation by the World Health Organization.

"We are delighted that our contract with Aetna will offer more New Yorkers access to care at all of HHC hospitals. Our entry into this vast network of commercial health insurance underscores our competitive, quality services and our recent significant achievements at the leading edge of patient safety, health information technology and chronic disease management," said HHC President Alan D. Aviles. "This new partnership also supports our work to further diversify our patient base and attract more referrals from the thousands of community physicians with whom we have forged relationships."

About the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), is a $6.3 billion integrated healthcare delivery system and the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.3 million New Yorkers every year and nearly 450,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, four skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 80 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides health services at home for New Yorkers. To learn more about HHC, visit www.nyc.gov/hhc.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. 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. For more information, see www.aetna.com.