Aetna, the nation’s third-largest health insurer, is departing the influential national association of health insurers, the company confirmed Tuesday.
Aetna is the second major insurer to ditch America’s Health Insurance Plans this year, following UnitedHealth Group, which said earlier this year that AHIP no longer represents its best interests.
“We will continue to partner with groups that are working, as we are, toward expanding access to high-quality, affordable healthcare,” a spokeswoman for Aetna said.
In a response to Aetna’s announcement, AHIP President Marilyn Tavenner said her group’s “successful advocacy record 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,” she said.
The departures come during a transitional period for the insurance industry, as insurers adjust to offering new plans on the Obamacare marketplaces and face challenges in covering new, sicker enrollees under President Obama’s healthcare law.
