CBS 2 Anchor Mario Bozquez (back row, with tie) stopped by the Aetna booth at the Expo and talked with the Northeast Small Group team.

On Sunday, Nov. 16, Aetna Small Group's Northeast region sponsored the fifh annual Latino Expo in New York City.

The event, which attracted nearly 10,000 visitors, served as a forum for Aetna Small Group to educate and interact with Latino small business owners throughout the tristate area. Aetna representatives and Small Group sales managers were on hand to discuss the valuable and affordable plan options that Aetna offers small businesses.
Discussions at the booth primarily focused on Aetna Small Group's leading product in the New York marketplace, Aetna MC (Managed Choice). Aetna MC, which was introduced into the New York small group market about a year ago, provides small business owners with 10 plan options that offer a variety of benefit and price points.

With price being a primary concern of many small business owners, Aetna MC contains cost-sharing features, which requires employees to take greater responsibility for the cost of their medical expenses. This allows the Aetna MC product to be an affordable option to small business owners, without compromising the level of benefits offered.

Working in conjunction with Aetna's Emerging Markets team, Northeast Small Group established the relationship and sponsorship with the Latino Expo to kick off a larger initiative that the region has planned specifically tailored toward minority-owned small businesses.

"Aetna's participation in the Latino Expo demonstrates our commitment to small business and to providing small business owners with solutions," said James Reid, general manager of Aetna Northeast Small Group. "We especially recognize the need to work closely with minority-owned small businesses, because, statistically, they represent a large portion of the uninsured population."

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 33.3 percent of all Latinos have no health insurance coverage. That is the highest rate of any racial or ethnic group.
Through ongoing involvement within the Latino community and other minority-operated organizations, Northeast Small Group hopes to educate consumers on health care and position Aetna as the preferred carrier for minority-owned small businesses.

"The Emerging Markets team is very excited that Northeast Small Group has taken the lead on an initiative geared toward minority-owned small businesses," said Garrison Rios, director, Emerging Markets for the Northeast region. "There is a great opportunity for Aetna to position itself as a leading carrier for these small businesses, and we look forward to working closely with the Small Group team to ensure they are successful in their initiatives."