Aetna Donates $1.275 Million to Support Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project

Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced today that it has donated $1.275 million to support the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project. Construction of the Memorial is under way, in preparation for the August 28 dedication.

At a National Press Club event entitled “Investing in the Dream for Equality,” Aetna CEO and President Mark T. Bertolini announced that a portion of Aetna’s gift will assist in the planting of 185 new cherry trees at the MLK Memorial site on the National Mall, adding their snowy petals to the Mall’s famed cherry blossom display each spring.

“Dr. King taught us that ‘America’s true strength lies in its diversity of talents,’ and that our future rests on hope and possibility,” Bertolini said. “His vision rings very true among Aetna employees and the people we serve every day.”

Aetna this year is marking 10 years of actively targeting and addressing racial and ethnic disparities in health care. The company was the first insurer to invite its members to share – on a self-identified, voluntary basis -- racial and ethnic information, and millions of people participated. Aetna has used the data to target hypertension and diabetes among African-American people, and asthma and diabetes among Latinos.

“The information has helped Aetna better understand how different communities are being served by the health care system,” Bertolini said. “We are working to make quality health care more affordable and accessible for everyone.”

At today’s event, Harry E. Johnson Sr., president and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Foundation, shared initial details about the Dedication Ceremony for the Memorial, which will occur August 28 at 11 a.m. Complete details about the Dedication will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We are deeply grateful to Aetna and humbled by their generous gift, which will help support the Foundation’s efforts to build a national memorial in our nation’s capital to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King,” Johnson said.

About the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc.

A Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is being built on the National Mall, situated adjacent to the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in a direct line between the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Congress passed Joint Resolutions in 1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. to establish a Memorial in Washington, D.C. honoring Dr. King. The ceremonial groundbreaking took place on Nov. 13, 2006, and the Memorial will be completed in 2011. McKissack & McKissack, Turner Construction Company, Tompkins Builders Inc., and Gilford Corporation Joint Venture serve as the design-build team. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.buildthedream.org.

About Aetna

Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 35.3 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral 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, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com. To learn more about Aetna's innovative online tools, visit www.aetnatools.com.

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