Aetna Awarded $50,000 to Fresno Nonprofits in 2008

FRESNO, Calif., February 05, 2009 — Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2008 awarded community grants and sponsorships in Fresno totaling $50,000, with a particular focus on improving the lives of the underserved.

The contributions support Aetna's commitment to enhancing the quality of health care, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities. In total, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation awarded more than $25 million nationally in 2008.

The three Fresno organizations that received grants were:

• West Fresno Health Care Center;
• Comprehensive Youth Services of Fresno; and
• The Ronald McDonald House.

"Aetna is proud to support organizations in Fresno which are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities," said Curtis Terry, market head for Aetna in California.  "As a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs."

The Aetna Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to the West Fresno Health Care Coalition to support an important initiative aimed at fostering diabetes care management among the high-risk diabetes populations-Hispanics and African-Americans over the age of fifty.

Comprehensive Youth Services of Fresno received a $15,000 grant to support its Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program.

Aetna awarded a $10,000 sponsorship to the Ronald McDonald House for its Red Heart Ball.

About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Founded in 1972, the Foundation seeks to help build healthy communities by funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers work and live.

The Foundation's giving is focused on health, diversity and employee community involvement, with broader programs in our home state of Connecticut. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed over $334 million in grants, sponsorships and social investments. In 2007, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation contributed $24.5 million nationally.

Additional about the Aetna Foundation is available at www.aetna.com/foundation.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 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.