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PUTNAM --- Citing an ability to deliver affordable healthcare services, Aetna insurance designated Day Kimball Hospital a “Tier 1” hospital. For patients insured under Aetna’s “Choose and Save” benefit plans, it means they will pay less for treatments at Day Kimball than those delivered at “Tier 2” and “Tier 3” facilities.
“We’re pleased that Aetna is able to quantify our efforts to control costs and still provide the highest quality care possible to its members living or working in northeast Connecticut,” said Robert Smanik, FACHE, Day Kimball Healthcare president and CEO. “We also applaud Aetna for its effort to find options for employees and employers looking to better control overall medical costs.”
The tiered program goes into effect Jan. 1, 2011, and recognizes Day Kimball for its “history of providing services at a more affordable cost to Aetna as compared to other participating hospitals in the market,” according to a letter from Aetna’s Hartford office to the hospital.
The tiered hospital network program introduced by Aetna is grouped into three levels as part of its “Choose and Save” benefit. Patients who have this benefit will pay more to receive care at Tier 2- or Tier 3-designated hospitals. Services provided at Tier 2 hospitals, which are also in Aetna’s network, will have coinsurance responsibilities (out-of-pocket costs) 20-25 percent higher; Tier 3 hospitals, which refer to out-of-network hospitals, will cost 50 percent higher than Tier 1 hospitals.
Aetna’s hospital designations are based on reviewing overall facility costs. All hospitals will be reviewed on an annual basis. The only other hospital in the region to also receive this designation is Windham Hospital in Willimantic. There are 30 hospitals in Connecticut; 24 received Tier 1 designation.