About Aetna
Aetna was founded in the 1800s and was known as Aetna Life Insurance Company. Today, Aetna (acquired by CVS Health in 2018) offers health plans and benefits to consumers nationwide. It provides access to participating walk-in clinics, including over 1,000 MinuteClinic® locations, at-home health support, 24x7 virtual care, and extra plan benefits such as mental health support and fitness reimbursement.
What insurance plans and services does Aetna offer? How many people benefit from Aetna?
Aetna is one of the nation's largest health insurance providers, serving approximately 39 million individuals. Together with CVS Health, Aetna offers health insurance and services to employers and organizations, individuals and families, and eligible low-income children, adults, seniors, pregnant people, and people with disabilities.
Aetna's products and services include:
- Medical, pharmacy, and dental plans
- Medicare plans, including Medicare Advantage plans
- Medicaid services
- Behavioral health programs
- Medical management
- Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans
- Student plans
Buying health insurance can seem like a challenging and tiresome task. If you are new to insurance and need guidance on commonly used insurance jargon, you can read Zocdoc's Health Insurance 101 guide.
Who is an OB-GYN, and when should you visit one?
Obstetrics is a science that focuses on the treatment and surgical care of women during pregnancy. This includes prenatal and post-natal care, providing fertility treatments, and delivering babies. On the other hand, gynecology is a specialty that focuses on women's reproductive health and the diseases associated with it. An obstetrician-gynecologist is a doctor of medicine (M.D.) who encompasses both specialties and provides primary and preventive care for women. OB-GYNs offer comprehensive care from the time of pregnancy until after delivery and also make referrals to other healthcare professionals if necessary.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) suggests that young girls should schedule their first visit with a gynecologist or OB-GYN between the ages of 13 and 15. Some reasons why such visits may be necessary could be:
- If you are entering puberty and have concerns like severe acne, an OB-GYN can offer treatments. Further, OB-GYNs also educate patients on hygiene and ways to deal with PMS (premenstrual syndrome) and address pelvic floor problems.
- You can see an OB-GYN to get tested for sexually transmitted infections and get access to the proper treatment at the right time. Your OB-GYN will teach you to lower your risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and recommend preventative vaccines like the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- You can discuss everything regarding your periodic cycle, i.e., ask whether your periods are regular, seek tips to relieve painful periods, find out why your periods are too heavy, and learn ways to deal with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
- Your OB-GYN can review your medical history to help you evaluate your risk for cervical cancer and certain genetic conditions.
- You can also discuss the ideal time to start a family and your options for conceiving, birth control options, infertility treatment options like IVF (in-vitro fertilization), labor and birthing options, genetic testing, and screenings.
- You can also discuss mental health issues like postpartum depression with your doctor.
- Women going through menopause can see their OB-GYN for concerns like hot flashes, incontinence, and bone loss.
- See your OB-GYN annually for wellness checks and preventive screenings like breast and cervical cancer tests.
Having a trusted OB-GYN from a young age can help adolescents and teens build a strong relationship with their doctor. Often, preteens and teenagers do not feel comfortable asking adults and caregivers personal questions regarding concerns like periods, sex, and birth control. This hesitance can lead to scouring the internet for answers, gathering misinformation, and undertaking practices that may be potentially harmful. Visits to an OB-GYN can be helpful in this case as they can provide accurate answers and correct any misconceptions parents or children may have. If you need help finding an in-network provider, check Zocdoc's list of providers. You can directly search for Aetna OB-GYNs near you on Zocdoc.
Does Aetna cover preventive gynecologic services?
Yes, Aetna provides various preventative gynecologic services via its HMO, Aetna Health Network Only plans, and Aetna Health Network Option plans. These include:
- Radiology services: These include gynecology ultrasounds, which may be performed in an OB-GYN office without a referral or prior authorization. These are reimbursed on a fee-for-service basis.
- Cervical cancer screening services: These services include HPV DNA screening with conventional pap smears or liquid-based cytology for primary cervical cancer screening of women aged 30 and older.
- Breast health services: These services include direct access to mammography services at contracted radiology facilities and personalized nurse care and breast cancer education for those members who have been newly diagnosed (available only to HMO, Aetna Health Network Only, and Aetna Health Network Option plan members).
- Capitated lab services: These include (but are not limited to) Beta hCG, glucose screening, prenatal panel, cystic fibrosis carrier testing, basic infertility screening labs, and tests for sexually transmitted diseases.
Some other services covered by Aetna plans include contraception and face-to-face and by-phone genetic cancer counseling.
Aetna's maternity program
The Aetna Maternity Program is designed to help patients undergo childbirth healthily. It includes educational materials and case management for Aetna members throughout their pregnancy. Most pregnant HMO-based plan members can avail Aetna Maternity Program benefits. Members of other health benefits plans may be eligible for the program, depending on their employer-sponsored plan.
Some program features include:
- A welcome packet with informational material about normal pregnancies, dental care, postpartum depression, prenatal care, post-delivery care, and more.
- To enroll in the program, Aetna members must complete a pregnancy survey identifying risk factors that may complicate a member's pregnancy and for which Aetna offers additional services. Subsequently, nurses are assigned to those with certain high-risk factors. Case management is provided for risk factors like- pregnancy-induced hypertension, type 1 or 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes, women at risk for preterm birth, active preterm labor, current depression or anxiety, or those who have a history of postpartum depression.
- Preterm labor education program.
- Smoke-Free Moms-to-Be, a nicotine-free smoking cessation program for mothers who need support managing their smoking.
- Screenings for pregnancy and postpartum depression.
Find top-rated Aetna OB-GYNs near you in Austin, Texas
Visiting an OB-GYN annually and getting a well-woman exam is essential for women of all ages. Through routine exams, your OB-GYN can help in the early detection of any diseases related to the reproductive system and counsel you on preventive care.
On Zocdoc, you can easily find OB-GYNs in your neighborhood or area without leaving your home and book a virtual or in-person consultation in just a few minutes! To do so, visit the Zocdoc website and enter your location, condition or symptoms, and insurance plan. Your search results should display a list of top-rated OB-GYNs, which you can filter by time of day, gender, hospital affiliation, whether they see children and languages spoken. To help you make an informed decision, Zocdoc provides each healthcare provider's medical background, including awards and certifications.
You can also choose their provider based on your insurance plan. Zocdoc's extensive list of providers accepts various insurance carriers. To check which providers accept your insurance, enter your carrier and plan in the drop-down menu at the top of the page or directly search for your carrier. For example, you can search for Aetna OB-GYNs near you in Austin, TX.
Zocdoc allows patients to book in-person or virtual consultations. Guides on the platform, such as a guide on how insurance works for video visits, further help maximize user convenience.
After you have browsed through, clarified all doubts, and decided on a practitioner, you can book a session safely, securely, and at no extra cost!
Women's health and insurance statistics in Texas
A 2017 Kaiser Women's Health Survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that compared to men, women are more likely to take prescription medication and utilize more health services. Due to the cost, they are more likely to have problems paying off their medical bills or forgoing needed health care. Even though the uninsured rate has declined significantly over the past decade, approximately 9.5 million women remain uninsured, with rates highest in states that have not expanded Medicaid eligibility. In Texas, nearly three in ten women are low-income, an estimated one in five are uninsured, and the state has not expanded Medicaid (as of December 2023) as most other states in the U.S. have.
KFF's 2022 analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) shows that nearly 17% of women (aged 18 and above) in Texas did not see a doctor in the past year. Roughly 18% did not have a doctor. In 2021, nearly 35% of all births were cesarean. Almost 70% of women between 18 and 64 years reported having a pap smear in the past three years. The cervical cancer incidence rate in Texas (per 100,000 women) was close to 9.5 in 2019. The incidence rate of women (ages 13 and over) living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Texas was almost 171.8 in 2021.
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