12.21.2006 - 02:34pm ET

(CSRwire) PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2006--Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation announced today that three nonprofit organizations dedicated to addressing childhood obesity and oral health in Arizona received grants totaling $125,000 from Aetna and the Aetna Foundation. The grants were awarded as part of the company's 2006 Regional Community Health Grants program.

The Regional Community Health Grants program supports Aetna's commitment to enhancing the quality of health care, and reducing racial and ethnic health disparities. The 2006 Regional Community Health Grants program awarded a total of $2.9 million across the country for philanthropic initiatives that target depression, childhood obesity, diabetes and oral health, and end-of-life care.
Priority consideration was given to programs that serve racially and ethnically diverse populations, and that enhance access to quality health information and health care.

The Arizona grant recipients and amounts are:

-- Phoenix Children's Hospital -- $50,000 grant received from
Aetna for its Active Kids, Healthy Families program to combat
obesity by focusing on physical activity and family
involvement;

-- Banner Health Foundation -- $40,000 grant received from the
Aetna Foundation for its school-based clinics to evaluate,
prevent, and treat childhood obesity and diabetes;

-- Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health -- $35,000 grant
received from the Aetna Foundation for its Project C.A.R.E.
(Compassion, Accommodation, Respect and Empathy) program to
train dentists, and provide dental care for special needs
patients.

"Aetna shares the commitment of these organizations to improving the health and quality of life for Arizona residents," said Gary Mizell, vice president of sales and service for Aetna's Southwest markets. "Working together, we can create solutions to increase access to information and health care services, particularly for the state's underserved."

The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Founded in 1972, the Foundation helps build healthy communities by promoting volunteerism, forming partnerships, and funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers live and work.

Since the Regional Community Health Grants program began in 2001, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have awarded more than $11 million to address critical health issues in communities across the country.

Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 29.8 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. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans and government-sponsored plans. www.aetna.com

Copyright Business Wire 2006

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