Dive Brief:
- On Feb. 1, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini received a call from HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, who asked him 'what happened?' soon after he expressed concerns about the ACA exchanges during an earnings call, Kaiser Health News reports.
- Bertolini questioned the stability of the exchanges. Yet shortly thereafter, Bertolini told Burwell he supports them but suggested changes be made. Aetna also reportedly lost money in individual coverage last year, according to their earnings report.
- Bertolini said he might consider joining the California insurance exchange if the insurer could agree with HHS on premiums.
Dive Insight:
“The secretary called me that evening at home to say, ‘What happened?’” Bertolini told Kaiser Health News.
“Well, I told her you need to read the whole (earnings transcript), which she did and she calmed down," Bertolini said. "We like the program and we think it’s an appropriate effort. But we do need to make changes.”
Bertolini suggested allowing more flexibility in rates and benefit design as well as introducing lower-deductible plans for young consumers, according to Kaiser Health News.
Earlier this month, Aetna reported a $140 million loss in individual coverage in 2015, California Healthline reports.