AARP announces new relationships that will change the health care marketplace and improve health of Americans ...AARP commits to help Americans find comprehensive health care information

 and assistance

 

WASHINGTON, April 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, AARP announced an expanded and innovative relationship with UnitedHealth Group and a new relationship with Aetna, to help provide unique health insurance plans designed to meet the needs of AARP's diverse 38 million members and others 50+.

   

AARP has used the power of its 38 million members to link insurers'

revenues with their ability to improve people's health.

 

"In launching these initiatives, AARP is driven by our mission to

create a healthier America," said Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP. "These

relationships will make the marketplace better and will continue raising

standards in health care to meet the changing needs of our members."

   

The Aetna agreement will focus on the needs of people 50-64 -- ages

where insurance often is unavailable or unaffordable at the time people

need coverage the most.

   

The agreement with UnitedHealth Group includes Medicare Supplemental insurance, Medicare Part D plans, indemnity insurance products and Medicare Advantage offerings. This agreement is in addition to a previous AARP UnitedHealth Group relationship, under which United provides an indemnity product that serves the 50-64 population. This AARP-branded UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage program will likely be the only product in the health insurance marketplace for 2008 with a two-year commitment by the provider, doubling the requirement by law in order to provide people greater stability in their health care.

   

"This is an ambitious undertaking that AARP is uniquely qualified to

do. By tying carrier compensation to the health of our members and other

innovative measures, we are on the leading edge of health care reform,"

added Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of AARP Services, Inc. "This is

patient- centered health care come to life."

   

Through the AARP-branded products, the organization will help provide

health insurance to an estimated 7 million people today, rising to an

estimated 14 million people by 2014. AARP's portfolio of branded health

care products represents the largest health insurance program for people

50+.

 

AARP has a history of delivering to people what they want and need to

make their lives better. These new relationships will enable us to

accelerate our efforts to make our social impact goals a reality. For

almost 50 years, AARP has used the power of people - today more than 38 million strong -- to improve the things our members and society care about and to enhance the public good. Today, AARP also announced that it is dedicating a half-billion dollars over 10 years in royalty revenues from  the UnitedHealth Group and Aetna relationships to a new program designed to help all Americans find health information and assistance.

   

"With great health care products comes the responsibility of helping

the public navigate our country's complex health care system. Millions of

Americans are struggling to find accurate and reliable health information

and AARP is determined to help its members find answers," said Novelli.

   

The new program, called AARP Health AID, will help Americans find

answers to their health care questions -- anyone, anytime, anywhere. The

effort is intended to help people get the health care answers they are

looking for, whether it is remote caregiving for older relatives, arranging

long-term care services, providing information about health conditions and disease prevention, and information to help encourage healthy lifestyles.

   

At the heart of these new agreements with Aetna and UnitedHealth Group

is a commitment to affordable, accessible health care that is measured on quality, efficiency, diversity, transparency, and accountability. AARP's

agreements with Aetna and UnitedHealth Group will be built on performance benchmarks carefully designed to:

    -- Measure an increase in health care coverage for the uninsured;

    -- Increase access to health care and reduce disparities in care for

       diverse populations;

    -- Create and carry out care management, disease management, and

       depression management programs; and

    -- Monitor quality of care and patient satisfaction scores.

   

The relationships, which are seven-year contracts effective January 1,

2008, will be assessed using state-of-the-art measurements, will publicly

report results and will promote the use of potentially life-saving personal

health records. In addition, both offerings will be required to reach

performance measurements in diversity, ethics, and easy-to-understand

language.

   

For more information on AARP-branded health insurance products, please visit AARP's website at http://www.aarp.org.

   

About AARP

   AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps

people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are

beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP produces

AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, its monthly

newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, its bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, its quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and the website, http://www.aarp.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors.

 

We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

   

About AARP Services

AARP Services, Inc., founded in 1999, is a wholly owned subsidiary of

AARP. AARP Services manages the wide range of products and services that are offered as benefits to AARP's 38 million members. The offers span health products, travel and leisure products, and life event services.

 

Specific products include Medicare supplemental insurance; member discounts on rental cars, cruises, vacation packages and lodging; special offers on technology and gifts; pharmacy services; legal services; and long-term care insurance. AARP Services founded AARP Financial Incorporated, a subsidiary that manages AARP- endorsed financial products including AARP Funds; AARP Services develops new products, manages and markets products and services, creates and maintains partnership and sponsorship relationships, and develops and manages AARP's award-winning Web site, AARP.org.