Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Karen Rohan Named Aetna President
The Wall Street Journal: Aetna Names New President
Aetna Inc. named Karen S. Rohan as its president, positioning her as a possible successor to Chief Executive Mark T. Bertolini. Mr. Bertolini, 58 years old, has served as the insurer’s president since 2007, adding the CEO title in 2010 and becoming chairman in 2011. Ms. Rohan, 51, will take on the new position on Jan 1. She has been an executive vice president overseeing local and regional business, and she now will add responsibility for national and government segments, as well as specialty products. She also has led Aetna’s integration of Coventry Health Care. (Wilde Mathews, 12/1)
Kaiser Health News: Insuring Your Health: EEOC Takes Aim At Wellness Programs Increasingly Offered By Employers
Do it or else. Increasingly, that’s the approach taken by employers who are offering financial incentives for workers to take part in wellness programs that incorporate screenings that measure blood pressure, cholesterol and body mass index, among other things. The controversial programs are under fire from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed suit against Honeywell International in October charging, among other things, that the company’s wellness program isn’t voluntary. It’s the third lawsuit filed by the EEOC in 2014 that takes aim at wellness programs and it highlights a lack of clarity in the standards these programs must meet in order to comply with both the 2010 health law and the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act. ( Andrews, 12/2)
