Dive Brief:
- Aetna does not have plans to leave any of its 15 ACA state insurance markets, The Wall Street Journal reported.
- T.J. Crawford, Aetna's spokesman, noted the company has submitted next year's proposed rates and has "no plans at this point to withdraw from any of those states," he was quoted in The Wall Street Journal.
- The carrier also hinted it could expand operations as it has "preserved...options to enter certain new geographies pending careful evaluation of marketplace conditions," The Wall Street Journal quoted.
Dive Insight:
Aetna noted it won't finalize its ACA market plans until September when binding plan agreements are forged between insurers and state markets.
But Crawford comments echoes earlier sentiments from Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini who said Aetna has no plans to exit any of the exchanges this year.
This comes among news that UnitedHealth will exit at least 26 ACA state markets next year out of 34 of its current markets. In addition, Humana, who operates in 15 ACA markets, is planning to leave at least four ACA state markets (VA, WI, KS, AL). It should be noted while Aetna/Humana merger is still pending regulatory approval that Aetna operates in at least one of the state markets Humana is planning to exit next year (VA).
Aetna’s Medicaid business boasted 2.3 million enrollees in the 2016 first quarter. That's an increase of 230,000 Medicaid customers compared to the 2015 first quarter. Much of the growth represents newly insured individuals subsidized under the ACA.
Payers like Aetna have Medicaid expansion to thank for much of the growth in low-income customers. Since the program was rolled out under the Affordable Care Act, 31 states and the District of Columbia have expanded their Medicaid programs. About 911,000 individuals signed up for Aetna coverage though the ACA markets.