Aetna Awarded $95,000 to Oregon Nonprofits in 2008

PORTLAND, Ore., February 05, 2009 — Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2008 awarded grants and sponsorships in Oregon totaling $95,000, with a particular focus on health education.

The contributions support Aetna's commitment to enhancing the quality of health care, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities. In total, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation awarded more than $25 million nationally in 2008. 

The four grants recipients were:

• North by Northeast Community Health Center;
• Children's Community Clinic;
• Virginia Garcia Memorial Fund; and
• The Casey Eye Institute.

"Aetna is proud to support organizations in Oregon which are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities," said Ron Smith, market head for Aetna's West region.  "As a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs."

The Aetna Foundation awarded a $35,000 grant to North by Northeast Community Health Center to help increase hours of operation and office space in order to provide medical care for uninsured low-income adults.

The Children's Community Clinic received a $25,000 grant to help fund a new part-time Family Health Coordinator who will provide an essential link between health care services and diabetes prevention for low-income African-American and Hispanic children and families.

Under a $25,000 grant, the Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation will assist in developing more innovative pharmacy services that will benefit diabetic patients.

The Aetna Foundation awarded the Casey Eye Institute at the Oregon Health and Sciences University Foundation a $10,000 grant to support the 2008 Macular Degeneration and Low Vision Expo, a free, day-long educational program. The Expo provided information on research and treatment advances, strategies and technologies to preserve eyesight.

About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Founded in 1972, the Foundation seeks to help build healthy communities by funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers work and live.

The Foundation's giving is focused on health, diversity and employee community involvement, with broader programs in our home state of Connecticut. Since 1980, the Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed over $334 million in grants, sponsorships and social investments. In 2007, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation contributed $24.5 million nationally.

Additional information about the Aetna Foundation is available at
www.aetna.com/foundation.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.