New council seat brings healthcare management insight to standards development process
November 29, 2016, Tucson, Arizona — Aetna, a healthcare benefits company serving more than 46 million people, has accepted a seat on CARF’s International Advisory Council (IAC), bringing expertise from the insurance field to CARF’s standards development process. Aetna is the first healthcare benefits company to join the IAC.
The IAC has historically comprised organizational and individual members representing the spectrum of CARF’s accreditation services. The addition of Aetna expands the perspective of the IAC and increases the total IAC membership to 43 organizational and five individual members. IAC members provide guidance on the development of the CARF standards and offer input on issues affecting fields in which CARF offers accreditation. A list of members can be found at www.carf.org/IAC.
“CARF welcomes the new voice that Aetna offers to the IAC,” says Michael Johnson, CARF’s managing director of Behavioral Health. “Health insurers are integral players in the healthcare ecosystem. They are excellent data aggregators, able to see trends that no one else can see. Aetna brings more than 150 years of experience working closely with providers across a variety of healthcare arenas, learning what works and what does not work from a healthcare management standpoint.”
On being included on CARF’s IAC, Aetna’s senior medical director for national accounts, Gregory Miller, M.D., said, “We see a real and urgent need for CARF to lead the substance use disorder treatment community toward optimal treatment for these serious and life-threatening illnesses. Our individual case clinical experience will also be an important asset in partnering with CARF to improve outcomes.”
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified healthcare benefits companies, serving an estimated 46.7 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their healthcare. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary, and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, medical management capabilities, Medicaid healthcare management services, workers’ compensation administrative services, and health information technology products and services. Aetna’s customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, healthcare providers, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates.
For more information, visit www.aetna.com and learn about how Aetna is helping to build a healthier world. @AetnaNews.
11/29/2016 8:30:00 AM