Aetna offers customers access to Microsoft HealthVault

Aetna has decided to become the first health plan to offer its members access to Microsoft's personal health record technology. It will roll out Microsoft's HealthVault in November, offering access not only to patients but also physicians, if the patient gives them permission. What makes this interesting is that it involves a switch from Aetna's existing PHR, which is already available to the company's six million members.

HealthVault is offering Aetna beneficiaries access, not only to whatever health information they load into the PHR, but also to claims information. Patients will be able to access the information even if they change jobs or drop Aetna coverage. However, members won't be able to merge data from the Aetna PHR to the HealthVault PHR until 2009.

Aetna executives say that they think the new PHR will help doctors avoid duplicate tests and errors that come from not having complete health information on hand. Despite its benefits, however, they say that they see this as only an intermediate step between now and the time when the U.S. completes a national health information network. (An interesting bit of candor, given that many backers of PHRs seem to be touting them as the solution to all of life's problems.)

HealthVault has been available for free on the web for about one year. To date, about 40 companies are allowing customers to store information there, including hospitals and CVS Caremark's Minute Clinic.

To learn more about Aetna's plans:
- read this Minneapolis Star-Tribune piece
- read this press release

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