Aetna 2003 Annual Report Download - page 6

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affected our ability to grow in 2003, those reductions were offset
by solid new sales, and we now are on track to achieve profitable
growth this year. For 2004, we are projecting net membership
growth in the range of 500,000 to 700,000.
These excellent results are not a one-time event. Clearly,
Aetna is back.
INNOVATION, INTEGRATION AND INFORMATION
In 2003, we also set our sights firmly on enhancing Aetna’s value
in the marketplace. A steady stream of new products and services
came out of our pipeline to support our strategy to innovate in
every aspect of our business, as well as integrate products and
information in order to facilitate customer decision making,
help improve health care quality and lower costs.
Last year, we became the first full-service national competitor to
integrate a consumer-directed health plan with pharmacy, dental
and long-term care benefits. We continue to be pleased by the
favorable response to our industry-leading Aetna HealthFund®
consumer-directed product, which early experience indicates is
effectively controlling costs, while increasing utilization of
preventive care. We also introduced a new dental discount
program called Vital Savings by AetnaSM for employees and
retirees without access to dental insurance through their
employers; and rolled out a new integrated medical, disability
and behavioral health management model. With Aetna
Integrated Health and Disability, we can consider member
needs from both a health- and work-related perspective.
This holistic approach can lead to more coordinated care
and reduced absenteeism.
In 2003, we also enhanced our online plan sponsor
administration tools and employee self-service Web sites.
Employers and consumers need innovative tools and information
to help them spend their health care dollars more wisely,
and Aetna is one of the few companies with the scale and
infrastructure to help them. For example, with our award-
winning Aetna Navigator™, now with more than 3 million users,
members can price prescription drugs, determine their portion
of the cost, order refills from Aetna Rx Home Delivery®and
check order status – all through the same online portal.
64%
Aetna’s stock price
increased 64 percent
from year-end 2002
to year-end 2003.
4
Clearly, Aetna is back.
2002 2003
$2.50 $5.18
FULL-YEAR OPERATING
EARNINGS (PER SHARE)