The chairman and CEO of Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna said he is talking with legislators and is optimistic the potential ACA replacement plan will usher in the "next wave of healthcare reform" focusing on quality and affordability, Journal Sentinel reports.
Despite the positive outlook, Mr. Bertolini said during a Tuesday conference call the insurer has "no intention" of offering plans on the 2018 ACA exchanges, citing regulatory uncertainty and a lack of time to submit plan prices by April. In an interview with CNBC, Mr. Bertolini said its exchange strategy for next year "will probably be business as usual" in the four states it offers on-exchange plans, according to the CNBC report.
The payer witnessed $450 million in losses on its individual plans last year, noting the losses on exchange plans were $100 million more than expected.
Mr. Bertolini also said he is skeptical about one Republican replacement proposal advocating for insurers to sell health insurance across state lines. He said "the idea of selling insurance across state lines is a dated concept. Insurance products are now tightly aligned with networks." Buying insurance linked to a network in another state does not work well for individuals, Mr. Bertolini said, according to the report.