Aetna Fights Its Own Insurers

A large health carrier is having trouble collecting from its insurers.

Aetna Inc., Hartford, reports in a notice filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that a Pennsylvania trial court has issued a summary judgment dismissing all of the claims Aetna has filed in an effort to collect about $72 million from a group of insurers that includes units of American International Group Inc., New York, and Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, Boston.

Aetna is seeking reimbursement from its insurers for the cost of a May 2003 settlement that ended a class-action suit filed on behalf of 900,000 physicians who were angry about the way Aetna’s provider network had treated them.