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January 06, 2016 at 09:46 AM
Aetna Inc. (NYSE:AET) has become the second big health insurer to drop out of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) in the last six months.
Aetna, which is in the process of acquiring Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM), said it was leaving the health insurer trade group in a statement released Tuesday.
“Aetna has decided not to renew our AHIP membership for 2016,” the company said in the statement. “We will continue to partner with groups that are working, as we are, toward expanding access to high-quality, affordable health care.”
Marilyn Tavenner, president of AHIP, said in a statement of her own that AHIP’s successful advocacy speaks for itself.
“Our members depend on AHIP to advance their key priorities, to strengthen the public-private programs that provide coverage for millions of Americans, and to deliver solutions that improve access to high quality, affordable care for consumers,” Tavenner said.
UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) left AHIP in June.
See also: UnitedHealth leaves AHIP
Tavenner, a former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administration who helped oversee the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provisions that affect Medicare, Medicaid and the commercial health insurance board, took over as the head of AHIP in July.
See also: Former CMS head to lead AHIP and
In the past two years, AHIP has succeeded at putting drug makers on the defensive, and focusing more public attention on the big, for-profit hospital companies.
