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More than 15,000 Triad area subscribers to Aetna health benefit plans will be able to choose any Novant Health facilities or affiliated physicians as in-network providers for their health care needs under an agreement signed April 13 between Aetna and Novant Health.

The non-exclusive, multi-year agreement will begin on May 15 and covers all 180,000 Aetna subscribers in North Carolina. Novant Health facilities in the Triad include Forsyth Medical Center, Medical Park Hospital and Forsyth Medical Center Hawthorne Outpatient Surgery in Winston-Salem and Thomasville Medical Center, as well as 32 Forsyth Medical Group practice locations.

"This agreement with one of North Carolinas largest health insurers is a significant benefit to Aetna subscribers who want greater freedom to choose where they receive their health care," said Bob Seehausen, Novants senior vice president for business development and sales. "Todays health care consumers are demanding choice and we believe many will be attracted to the 'remarkable people' and 'remarkable medicine' offered by our affiliated hospitals and physicians."

"We are extremely pleased to add the Novant facilities to our Charlotte and Winston-Salem networks," said Tom Golias, head of Aetna's network operations in the Carolinas. "Our goal is to offer members access to a broad network of hospitals and physicians, and this agreement enables us to do that."

The Novant contract adds three hospitals and 175 Forsyth Medical Group physicians to Aetna's Triad network, which now totals eight hospitals, 369 primary care physicians and 577 specialists.

Aetna is one of the nation's leading providers of health care, dental, pharmacy, group life, disability and long-term care benefits, serving approximately 13.0 million medical members, 10.9 million dental members, 7.4 million pharmacy members and 12.3 million group insurance customers, as of December 31, 2003. The company has expansive nationwide networks of more than 600,000 health care services providers, including over 362,000 primary care and specialist physicians and 3,626 hospitals. For more information about Aetna, please visit the company's web site at www.aetna.com.

Novant Health is a not-for-profit integrated healthcare system based in North Carolina. Hospital affiliates include Forsyth Medical Center and Medical Park Hospital in Winston-Salem, Thomasville Medical Center in Thomasville; and Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews and Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville in the Charlotte area. Other facilities and programs of Novant Health include three philanthropic foundations, two nursing home and senior residential facilities, physician clinics, outpatient surgery and diagnostic centers, rehabilitation programs and community health outreach programs.