Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced that a firm calling itself Aetna Healthcare Networks is not an affiliated company, and is fraudulently using the Aetna name, logo and information in its marketing materials to sell health policies in India. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) in India has also issued a notice warning people not to do business with the Bangaluru firm.

The IRDA notice reads, in part, “…It has come to the notice of the IRDA that a company by the name and style of ‘Aetna Healthcare Networks (India),’ claiming to be a unit of ‘Aetna Inc., 151 Farmington Avenue, Hart Ford CT 06156, USA,’ is selling health insurance and collecting money from the applicants subscribing to the same…The general public is hereby cautioned not to deal with or to purchase or subscribe to any of the plans stated to provide medicare health cover and/or life insurance benefit of the said company or through any person claiming to be its Agent/Advisor/Representative.”

Sandip Patel, Aetna’s head of International business, said, “If a business owner or individual purchased a health plan that was represented as a plan from Aetna in India, it is not an Aetna health plan. We have reached out to the Indian authorities and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. We will also pursue appropriate legal actions against the fraudulent entity.”

Patel added, “While Aetna does not currently sell health plans in India, our International business is constantly evaluating new markets and opportunities for entry.”

Aetna Global Benefits, which provides comprehensive health benefits and health management solutions worldwide, does have expatriate members in India whose employers are based in other countries.

As always, Aetna members who have questions should call the toll-free telephone number on the back of their Aetna identification card. For those who may be unsure and want to confirm if they have a valid Aetna health plan, please call the Aetna Global Benefits International Service Center at 1-800-231-7729 (toll-free) or 1-813-775-0190 (collect).

About Aetna Global Benefits

Aetna Global Benefits, the international business segment of Aetna, is committed to helping create a stronger, healthier global community by delivering comprehensive health benefits and health management solutions worldwide. AGB's expatriate business is one of the industry's largest and most prominent U.S.-based international health benefits providers, supporting more than 400,000 members worldwide. Our expatriate offerings include medical, dental, vision, life, disability and emergency assistance. The organisation's health management business collaborates with health care systems, government entities and plan sponsors around the world to design and build locally-applied health management solutions to improve health, quality and cost outcomes.

About Aetna

Aetna is a leading global diversified health care benefits company headquartered in the U.S., serving approximately 36.1 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, behavioural 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, labour groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com.