Aetna Adopts Physician Relations Principles

A managed care company says it wants to continue to maintain strong bonds with the doctors in its provider networks.

Aetna Inc., Hartford, is marking the end of a “physicians settlement agreement” period by issuing “guiding principles” that call for the company to continue to do voluntarily many of the things it has been doing in connection with the settlement agreement.

Aetna accepted the settlement agreement to resolve a lawsuit brought against it by doctors who accused it and other managed care companies of using unfair tactics to confuse them and hold down their reimbursement rates.

In the new guiding principles document, Aetna says it will take steps such as permitting doctors to get out of its networks within 90 days of sending termination notices.