Women Led Businesses Continue To Fuel Growth In A Tough Economy

HARTFORD, Conn., October 06, 2009 — According to the Small Business Administration, there are 9.1 million women owned businesses in the U.S., employing 27.5 million people and contributing $3.6 trillion to the economy. Aetna (NYSE: AET), a leading provider of health care solutions to small businesses, understands the unique needs of this growing business segment and in response has developed a robust resource to help women business owners manage the health of their business, the well-being of their employees and their personal life. The website, www.aetnawomenatwork.com, features pertinent information, videos, events, education courses, and more, to help women balance their often dual roles as business and family caregivers and decision-makers.

“Female leadership of companies is changing how businesses are organized, managed and insured,” said Mary Claire Bonner, head of Local and Regional Business, a combined organization that includes Aetna Small and Middle Market Business. “Our work with women-led companies has taught us that the idea of communities – places where different people come together to share interests, goals, and values – is central to their success. This is how we have developed the benefit plans and tools needed to serve the health and well-being of companies led by women.”

The site content is built around three core areas: Healthy Business, Healthy Family, Healthy Life – three themes that resonate with women business leaders regardless of their industry.
 
Healthy Business 
This section is designed to help women business leaders manage the health of their business and the well-being of the people who help make it succeed with links to:

• Aetna’s Small Group portfolio
• Online tools and resources such as Aetna Navigator®, Aetna’s easy-to-use, self-service member website
• Wellness information for the workplace

Healthy Family
When families share the value of health, the benefits are experienced by everyone—parents, children, colleagues, and employers. This section of the site is designed to help people get engaged in their health with the tools and information they need to make smart, healthy decisions, including:

• How health benefits can help save money
• Screening tests every family should consider
• Creating Personal Health Records for everyone in your family

Healthy Life
Aetna promotes health at every phase and stage of life —from guiding people through using their health plans, to promoting healthy eating tips and finding time for fitness. This area of the site offers information intended to improve the lives of women business owners, the lives of their employees, and their families, including:

• How to find doctors in your area
• How to get more from your insurance coverage
• How to plan for retirement

“We understand the unique challenges facing women led businesses, and small businesses in general,” said Bonner. “Aetnawomenatwork.com is another tangible example of our commitment to developing health and wellness solutions that deliver real value to this business segment.”

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.8 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.