The Hartford, Conn.-based insurer pulled back its ACA footprint in mid-August. In a July 5 letter sent to the U.S. Department of Justice, the insurer said if its proposed acquisition of Louisville, Ky.-based Humana was challenged, it would immediately take action to reduce its 2017 ACA exchange presence. The DOJ sued to block the transaction July 21.
In a Sept. 8 letter signed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), the senators requested Aetna answer questions regarding its ACA exchange exits, calling them “inexplicable and irresponsible.”
Mr. Bertolini responded to the senators, saying issues outlined in their letter about Aetna’s exchange pullback were “unfounded accusations” and “marketplace reality” is to blame for its public exchange departure.
The senators circled back to Mr. Bertolini Sept. 23, saying the CEO “stated that Aetna’s decision to drop out of the exchanges was ‘based on … marketplace reality,'” but his “response ignored the questions asked in the letter about our primary concern: Aetna’s risky bet that the Justice Department would not delay the proposed merger with Humana, and whether Aetna’s decisions about conditions of the merger with Humana were significant contributors to its problems and the need to drop out of the exchanges. This concern has a real, meaningful impact on consumers.”
The senators included a table of 12 questions they said went without response. They requested Mr. Bertolini answer the questions by Sept. 30.
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