Aetna Statement on TRICARE North Region Contract Protest

Aetna (NYSE: AET) learned today that the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has sustained a protest by an unsuccessful bidder of the award to Aetna Government Health Plans of the Department of Defense's TRICARE North Region Managed Care Support contract. Based on procurement protocol, the Department of Defense will review the recommendations issued by the GAO and determine how to proceed with the procurement.

"Aetna Government Health Plans is extremely proud of the strong proposal we submitted to the Department of Defense," said Susan M. Peters, president of Aetna Government Health Plans. "We will continue to cooperate with the Department of Defense as it considers the GAO's recommendations. We stand ready to serve our nation's military personnel and their families in the North Region, and help them access the best possible health care."

Aetna was notified on July 13, 2009 that it had been awarded the TRICARE North Region Managed Care Support contract. The unsuccessful bidder protested the contract award on July 20, 2009.

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.

SOURCE: Aetna

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