Judicial Panel to Address Lawsuit Alleging Insurance Providers Fail to Completely Reimburse Patients for Medical Expenses, Scott+Scott LLP Announces -- AET

• Press Release
• Source: Scott+Scott, LLP
• On Thursday December 18, 2008, 6:21 pm EST

NEW YORK, Dec. 18, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aetna, Inc. (NYSE:AET - News), one of the nation's largest healthcare benefits companies, has petitioned the United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to determine whether certain previously filed lawsuits against the company, including an action filed by Scott+Scott LLP on behalf of Aetna policyholders who received out-of-network services, but were not properly reimbursed their own out-of-pocket medical expenses, should be consolidated before as single federal district court. The Judicial Panel will hear the matter next month and a decision is expected shortly thereafter.

Related Quotes

Symbol	Price	Change
AET	25.56	-0.08
CI	23.98	-0.09
HNT	14.57	-0.27
UNH	24.67	-0.27
WLP	49.81	-0.37

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The action filed by Scott+Scott is on behalf of Aetna policyholders. It alleges that Aetna, UnitedHealth Group, Inc. (United) (NYSE:UNH - News) and United wholly-owned subsidiary Ingenix Inc., along with insurers Cigna Corporation (Cigna) (NYSE:CI - News), Oxford Health Plans (Oxford), Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) (NYSE:WLP - News) and Health Net, Inc., (Health Net) (NYSE:HNT - News), illegally reduce full reimbursement of patients' out-of-pocket expenses when they seek out-of-network medical treatment.

``The systematic and unlawful reduction of reimbursements to hundreds of thousands individuals nationwide is a travesty,'' Scott+Scott partner David R. Scott stated. ``The law does not look favorably on such practices.''

The action is currently pending in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut and is being handled by leading nationwide class-action firm Scott+Scott LLP with the assistance of the San Francisco, California-based Lexington Law Group.

Earlier this year, New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced that he had launched an industry-wide investigation into a scheme by health insurers to defraud consumers by manipulating reimbursement rates. Cuomo announced that he had also subpoenaed 16 insurance companies, including Aetna, Cigna and Empire concerning their use of Ingenix's out-of-network database and that he intended to sue Ingenix and United.

Scott+Scott LLP is a law firm with significant experience in prosecuting national class actions. The firm currently is litigating major consumer, securities, antitrust, insurance and employee-related actions throughout the United States. Scott+Scott represents injured consumers, pension funds, charities, foundations and other entities worldwide.

If you wish to discuss this action or have questions concerning this litigation or your rights, please contact Joseph P. Guglielmo, Esq. at Scott+Scott (jguglielmo@scott-scott.com, 800/404-7770, 212/223-6444) or visit the Scott+Scott website (http://www.scott-scott.com) for more information about the firm.

          Scott+Scott LLP
          (800) 404-7770
          (212) 223-6444
          scottlaw@scott-scott.com