Aetna member discounts lower what employees pay for wellness services, but they are not insurance coverage.
Aetna lists wellness discounts as an extra for members on its plans. They reduce the price of certain products and services, and they do not pay claims.
What the program is and what members do.
What the discounts cover
Aetna says members can save on wellness products and services such as gym memberships, health coaching and vision care. Aetna’s discount program also lists weight-loss and meal plans, gyms and fitness, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic and nutrition, and vision and hearing services. Aetna names EyeMed and LASIK on the vision side, and Hearing Care Solutions and Amplifon on the hearing side.
Where the discounts sit among other extras
Aetna groups discounts with other member extras, including telemedicine visits, mental health support, MinuteClinic walk-in services, digital tools, care management and covered health screenings. Discounts are the lightest item on that list. They are a price reduction at participating providers, not a benefit paid through the plan.
What members do
A member finds a participating provider or product through Aetna’s discount page and receives a reduced price when buying it. There are no claims to file, because the member pays the discounted amount directly. Ask Aetna whether amounts paid at a discount count toward any deductible, since the page does not say.
Eligibility, funding and plan design.
Who can use them
Aetna describes the discounts as a feature of members’ plans, available through the employer’s coverage. Which discounts a member sees can vary by plan and funding, and Aetna can change participating vendors without notice. An employer should check the current list before describing it to employees.
How they are funded or sold
The employer does not generally buy these separately, as far as the Aetna page shows, and Aetna does not state a fee. The vendors provide the reduced prices. Because there is no premium attached, employers should treat the discounts as a courtesy and not as part of the plan’s value.
Where they fit in a plan design
Discounts support a wellness message at almost no cost, and they help employees who already want to join a gym or buy glasses. They do not change the benefit design, and they do not replace coverage. They belong as one line in an enrollment guide and not as a selling point.
What to settle before relying on it.
Which discounts are available to our plan and state?
Ask Aetna for the current discount list for your group, since vendor participation changes. We would confirm that the specific gyms, hearing and vision providers employees would use are on it. A discount that exists only in another state or at no nearby location is not useful.
What wording should we avoid in employee communications?
Discounts are not insurance coverage, and nothing about them should imply that Aetna pays any part of the cost. We would describe them as reduced prices at participating vendors and link to Aetna’s page. Wrong wording can create expectations the plan cannot meet.
Do any discounts overlap with covered benefits?
Some services, such as vision exams, hearing care or nutrition counseling, may also appear in the plan’s covered benefits or in a separate vision plan. Ask which route is cheaper for the employee. Employees should use the covered benefit first where the plan provides one.
Common questions about this program.
Are Aetna member discounts the same as coverage?
No. They are reduced prices at participating vendors, and Aetna does not pay for the service. Ask Aetna whether discounted spending counts toward a deductible.
What do the discounts include?
Aetna says members can save on gym memberships, health coaching and vision care, among other wellness products and services. Aetna’s program also lists weight-loss and meal plans, massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, nutrition, EyeMed, LASIK, Hearing Care Solutions and Amplifon.
Does the employer pay for the discounts?
Aetna does not publish an employer fee on the member benefits page. Confirm with Aetna that the discounts are included in your quote and ask whether any can be removed.
Where these details come from.
This page summarizes what Aetna publishes. Programs change, so confirm current details with the carrier before relying on them.
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