Aetna Inc.Hartford, CT, United States (NYSE: AET)

Spending on Prevention Grows in Popularity - Preventive care and wellness strategies are growing in popularity as ways to slow rising healthcare and insurance costs. Businesses in particular feel that by encouraging employees to quit smoking or lose weight, they can save on insurance costs. According to Health2 Resources, 71 percent of employers offer incentives for employee wellness in 2008, compared to 62 percent in 2007. According to Trust for America's Health, $10 of per capita spending on wellness would result in $16 billion in long-term healthcare cost savings in the US.

Coalition Addresses Performance Measurement - To standardize inconsistencies in measuring physician quality, MCOs are among those leading the way toward a new system. The new report card will measure the quality of care given by physicians based on several indicators, not just cost. Among those participating in the project, called the "Patient Charter for Physician Performance Measurement, Reporting and Tiering Programs," are Aetna, CIGNA, and UnitedHealth, some of the industry's largest companies.

Health Insurance Technology Continues Move Forward - The nation's largest MCOs continue to work toward more advanced technology, most recently through alliances with technology companies such as Microsoft and Google. A major new area for innovation investment is online medical records and services. Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts are among those working with technology companies to create platforms that will allow patients to easily transfer records from one provider to another, known in the industry as "portability."