Aetna Pushing Self-Insured Small Group Plans Over ACA-Compliant Plans

Aetna is ratcheting back its business in Affordable Care Act-compliant small group plans and instead is pushing self-insured small group plans that are not ACA-compliant or subject to the law's regulations. Executives said in the company's Thursday (Aug. 3) earnings call with investors that these plans have helped Aetna navigate around the "volatility" of the ACA markets. An outside analyst who studies insurance markets said these self-insured, non-compliant plans -- so-called stop-loss plans -- are also cheaper for small group...