I admit I ask myself the same thing once in a while. Even so, Huber remains an HMO true believer. Huber has been on an acquisitions tear, persuaded that Aetna needs vast scale to cover its investments in technology and marketing. More recently, Aetna acquired the managed-care operations of New York Life and Prudential. Now Aetna has HMOs in 31 states, and it is among the top two players in five of the seven states that account for 45 percent of the U.S. population.
Doctors see it differently.
One hot issue that has doctors running to state regulators for relief is Aetna's demand that physicians who work for any of Aetna's plans work for all of them. State regulators are divided. While hanging tough on that issue, Aetna has tried to address other key concerns of both providers and patients. Early this year it became the first national HMO to voluntarily submit disputes with members over coverage and treatment to a binding external medical review, in states where such review is not mandatory. Aetna's moves may not be enough to ward off federal legislation.