Aetna Loves Aetna, So Does Health Affairs
Jack Rowe (former Chairman of Aetna), Robin Downey (head of product development for Aetna) and Joe Newhouse (Aetna board member) have done a study of Aetna's CDHC plans. Published in Health Affairs (which makes no mention of the Aetna connection for Rowe or Newhouse), the study uses data not available to other researchers. The authors' conclusion: Aetna products work like a charm!
(P.S. Joe Newhouse says affiliations appear at the end of the document, see comment.)
That’s dangerous ground Aetna is treading–employers are not going to be happy when they read this blog!!!
THanks for bringing “transparency” to the true “by line” in such an esteemed??? journal!
Jerry
Actually, there is a fourth author of the study. Any Aetna connection for that one?
Reply to Christa: What do you think?
I thought Health Affairs articles were supposed to be peer reviewed. Do you think Aetna did its own peer review?
Also, I notice that Jamie Robinson is stepping down as the editor of Health Affairs. Any connection between Jamie’s departure and your exposé?
Reply to Devon: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Rowe and Newhouse’s Aetna affiliations are mentioned at the end of the article (p. 120).
Reply to Joe Newhouse: Fair point. However, these details were not mentioned on page one, where the
authors are introduced. One has to read all the way to the end to learn of possible conflicts of interest.