Aetna Approved For New Medicare Sales as Sanctions are Lifted

After troubled times that caused Aetna to lost its ability to sell new Medicare and Medicaid policies the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has lifted its marketing and enrollment sanctions against Aetna Medicare. This means that Aetna is back in the game of selling new Medicare policies and this is good news for their policyholders and shareholders. Aetna was expected to start selling new policies starting July 1, 2011.

“We are pleased by this news,” said Aetna Chairman, CEO and President Mark T. Bertolini. “We have worked very hard to implement improvements to a number of areas that will further support beneficiary access to care, patient safety and compliance with CMS guidelines. Most important, our actions will enhance our ability to support the nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries we are privileged to serve today.”

While Aetna has corrected deficiencies that allowed CMS to lift the sanctions, Aetna’s Medicare Prescription Drug Plans will not receive any new low income subsidy assignees from CMS at this time. This means that work is not back to normal for Aetna, however, low income subsidy members can make their own choice to enroll in Aetna products during the upcoming Annual Enrollment Period.