Aetna Introduces Dental-Only Insurance Plans for Individuals and Their Families

-- Plans Offer Affordable Option for the More Than 100 Million
Americans Without Dental Insurance--
HARTFORD, Conn.--(Business Wire)--
Aetna (NYSE:AET) announced today that it has begun selling
stand-alone dental plans to individuals and families, which are now
effective as of June 1, 2008. These new products will initially be
offered in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois and Pennsylvania, with plans to
expand their availability to additional states in the future.

Individuals, including those who are eligible for Medicare, will
be able to purchase these plans at any age. In addition, there will be
no medical underwriting, meaning that individuals are automatically
accepted if they apply (prices will vary based on age and geographic
region).

There will be two PPO-style options for individuals to choose from
- the Aetna Individual Advantage(SM) Dental PPO Plan and the Aetna
Individual Advantage(SM) Dental PPO Plus Plan. Both plans will give
members access to Aetna's PPO network of participating dental
practices, which includes more than 105,000 available dental practice
locations throughout the country.

Individuals can find more information on these plans and purchase
them directly at www.aetna.com/buydental or by calling 1-877-243-3682.

"The fact that 47 million individuals in our country do not have
health insurance is often mentioned, but it is rarely noted that more
than twice as many individuals lack dental insurance," said Frank
McCauley, head of Aetna's Consumer Business Segment. "We believe that
a stand-alone dental product will help increase access to important
dental care."

Aetna's Emphasis on Dental Health

Recently, numerous studies have demonstrated the connection
between dental health and overall health. This includes research
conducted by Aetna and the Columbia University College of Dental
Medicine that shows a correlation between periodontal disease and
individuals with chronic conditions, including people with diabetes or
heart disease.

"Our research with Columbia indicates that promoting preventive
dental care can have an impact on the overall wellness of our
members," said Alan Hirschberg, head of Aetna Dental.

In addition to this research, Aetna has worked with Columbia to
develop a number of continuing education courses for participating
dentists on the connection between dental health and overall health.
Columbia also provides the content for Aetna's dental education
website, Simple Steps to Better Dental Health(R).

Health Insurance Plans for Individuals

In addition to this stand-alone dental product, all of Aetna's
individual health insurance plans give members the option of adding on
a dental PPO plan (the optional plan is not the same as the
stand-alone dental product offerings).

Aetna's health insurance plans for Individuals and Families are
currently being sold directly to consumers or through independent
insurance agents and brokers in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi,
Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West
Virginia, Wyoming and Washington, D.C. Additional information about
Aetna's plans for individuals and their families is available at
www.AetnaIndividual.com or by calling 1-866-582-9629 or your insurance
agent.

About Aetna Dental

Aetna Dental is one of the nation's leading providers of
integrated and stand-alone dental products, serving more than 14
million dental members. In 2006, Aetna launched its Dental/Medical
Integration program, which includes enhanced benefits and educational
outreach to members, helping them achieve optimal health. Aetna is the
brand name used for products and services provided by one or more of
the Aetna group of subsidiary companies. The Aetna companies that
offer, underwrite or administer dental benefits coverage include Aetna
Health Inc., Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of the
Carolinas Inc., Aetna Health of Illinois Inc., Aetna Health Insurance
Company of New York, Corporate Health Insurance Company, Aetna Dental
Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc. and/or Aetna Life Insurance
Company.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 37.3 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. www.aetna.com

Aetna
Ethan Slavin, 860-273-6095
SlavinE@aetna.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008