Aetna and Best Doctors, Inc. Form Innovative Alliance to Provide Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Updated

Aetna and Best Doctors, Inc. Form Innovative Alliance to Provide Teacher Retirement System of Texas Retirees and Their Dependents Expert Medical Support

HARTFORD, Conn. & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aetna (NYSE: AET) and Best Doctors, Inc.® announced today a strategic alliance that will offer Aetna Medicare Advantage participants in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) access to the medical expertise of Best Doctors' highest-ranked five percent of medical experts in the world. Best Doctors' medical experts will work collaboratively with participants' treating physicians to find or help confirm the correct diagnoses and most effective treatment plans.

Eligible participants can voluntarily contact Best Doctors anytime they face medical uncertainty - whether it concerns minor surgery or a serious illness, like cancer or heart disease. Best Doctors works with the best five percent of doctors from its physician database, audited and certified by Gallup®, who are medical experts in more than 400 subspecialties.


"We believe that our collaboration with Best Doctors can help deliver access to the highest-quality care and empower our members," said Randall Krakauer, M.D., FACP, FACR, Aetna's national Medicare medical director. "Aetna already has many of the top health care providers in the country in our existing network. By facilitating communications with some of the most renowned physicians in the industry, dedicated treating physicians will receive collaborative support to help deliver the best possible care to their patients. We also believe that eligible TRS participants will value the ability to quickly and conveniently receive an expert second opinion about their health and treatment options."

Best Doctors addresses some of the most challenging gaps in today's overburdened health care system. Best Doctors helps confirm that patients get the correct diagnosis through a unique, virtual process that includes an initial, detailed phone conversation with the participant, thorough collection of medical records, and a comprehensive review of available clinical information. Importantly, Best Doctors' expert physicians take the time to ask pertinent questions and carefully examine relevant case data.

With participants' permission, Best Doctors' experts develop reports that are shared with both the participant and their treating physician to support the personal doctor-patient relationship. This patient-centric process resulted in Best Doctors being able to correct or refine diagnoses in 29 percent of its U.S.-based cases, while correcting or improving treatment in nearly 60 percent of cases.

"Aetna is at the forefront of a growing trend among health plans to take a fresh look at how to support patient-centric care that is both high quality and cost effective," noted David Seligman, chairman and chief executive officer of Best Doctors. "Aetna immediately understood how strongly we support their mission. We are extremely proud to work with them, as we share a common goal to improve health outcomes for patients with innovative solutions."

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, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services and health information technology services. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.

Teacher Retirement System of Texas

The Teacher Retirement System of Texas delivers retirement and related benefits that have been authorized by the Texas Legislature, and manages a $116.3 billion trust fund established to finance member benefits. More than 1.3 million public education and higher education employees and retirees participate in the system. For additional information, please visit www.trs.state.tx.us.

About Best Doctors, Inc.

Founded in 1989 by Harvard Medical School physicians, Best Doctors works with the best five percent of doctors, ranked by impartial peer review, to help people get the right diagnosis and right treatment. Gallup® has audited and certified Best Doctors, Inc.'s database of physicians, and its companion Best Doctors in America® List, as using the highest industry standards survey methodology and processes. The global health solutions company, which has grown to over 30 million members worldwide, uses state-of-the-art technology capabilities to deliver improved health outcomes while reducing costs. Best Doctors seamlessly integrates its trusted health services with large self-insured employers, insurers and other groups in every major region of the world. The company also designs and implements international insurance programs that help people be sure they get the right health solutions. For further information, visit www.bestdoctors.com.



Aetna
Ethan Slavin, 860-273-6095
slavine@aetna.com
or
Best Doctors
Jen Beltz, 617-502-9319
jbeltz@bestdoctors.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Connecticut Massachusetts Texas

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:

The article Aetna and Best Doctors, Inc. Form Innovative Alliance to Provide Teacher Retirement System of Texas Retirees and Their Dependents Expert Medical Support originally appeared on Fool.com.

Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Advertisement