Aetna is one of the few individual health insurance companies in Texas selling individual health insurance plans/ family health insurance plans for 2017. Aetna is also one of the even fewer companies offering an EPO provider network. An EPO provider network does not require referrals for specialist like other health insurance carrier’s HMO provider networks do. For 2018 Aetna has just announced that they will be pulling out of Texas as well as many other states.
If you currently have an Aetna health insurance policy then your current coverage will not be impacted until December 31, 2017. You will be unable to renew your policy for 2018. You will need to select another health insurance plan during the annual open enrollment period.
The open enrollment period for 2018 will begin November 1, 2017. Aetna is notifying their members that they will qualify for a special enrollment period due to “loss of coverage” which will allow them until December 31, 2017 to select another individual health insurance carrier. We at Texas Medical Plans do not recommend waiting until then to secure new health insurance coverage for 2018.
Our recommendation is that Aetna members contact their health insurance agent no later than December 15,2017 to ensure they have new coverage effective January 1, 2018. If you are an Aetna member without a trusted health insurance agent please contact our office, Texas Medical Plans, for assistance at (512)847-3164.
Aetna has also recently been in the news for their data breach that has impacted 522 Texas residents. Please read more here.
