Introduction
Press Ganey, the healthcare industry’s leading provider of experience measurement, data analytics, and AI-powered insights, has recognized Aetna as its first-ever Health Plan of the Year. The prestigious award was presented at Press Ganey’s annual Human Experience Conference held in Orlando, Florida, marking a significant milestone for the CVS Health company.
Award Recognition and Significance
The Health Plan of the Year award represents a groundbreaking achievement for Aetna, being the inaugural recipient of this distinguished recognition. Press Ganey presented the award to Steve Nelson, president of Aetna, acknowledging the company’s exceptional performance in member experience, provider collaboration, and measurable healthcare outcomes. This recognition positions Aetna as an industry leader in patient-centered care delivery and operational excellence.
Leadership Response and Company Culture
Steve Nelson emphasized the award’s significance, stating, “Receiving this award – especially in its first year – reflects the sustained performance and collaborative culture at the heart of Aetna. We succeed by staying relentlessly focused on our members and their experiences throughout the health care journey and by building strong and trusting relationships with our partners.” Nelson credited the achievement to Aetna colleagues and the broader CVS Health team, highlighting their dedication and advocacy mindset that drives member satisfaction.
Multi-Year Performance Excellence
This recognition underscores Aetna’s strategic focus on disciplined improvement spanning multiple years. The company has successfully translated experience insights into measurable gains across several critical performance indicators. These include Medicare Star Ratings, employer satisfaction metrics, and provider experience scores. Aetna’s commitment to continuous improvement demonstrates how systematic attention to member feedback can transform healthcare delivery outcomes.
Strategic Provider Partnerships
Patrick T. Ryan, Chairman and CEO of Press Ganey, emphasized the critical role health plans play in shaping healthcare access and patient experiences. “Health plans play a critical role in shaping how people access and experience care, often long before a patient ever enters a clinical setting,” Ryan explained. He noted that Aetna has treated member experience as an operating guide, using real-world insights to remove barriers, improve care coordination, and strengthen provider accountability.
HX Exchange Innovation
A cornerstone of Aetna’s success is HX Exchange, an innovative collaboration developed with Press Ganey. This groundbreaking platform bridges patient experience data from provider systems with member experience metrics, including Medicare CAHPS scores. Through shared insights and coordinated improvement efforts in select markets, this approach drives early gains across key experience indicators. The initiative reinforces a model of joint accountability for access, care coordination, and quality improvement.
About Press Ganey Conference
The Human Experience Conference brings together healthcare leaders nationwide to explore industry insights, connections, and strategies for advancing performance. Central to the conference is the Human Experience Awards Program, which recognizes organizations excelling in patient and consumer experiences, employee and physician engagement, and clinical quality and safety. The conference serves as a catalyst for healthcare innovation and best practice sharing.
Aetna’s Service Reach
Aetna serves an estimated 37 million people with comprehensive information and resources to help them make better-informed healthcare decisions. The company offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary, and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services. These include medical, pharmacy, dental, and behavioral health plans, medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers’ compensation administrative services, and health information technology products.
Aetna’s diverse customer base includes employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, healthcare professionals, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups, and expatriates.
CVS Health Integration
CVS Health operates as a leading health solutions company building a comprehensive health ecosystem around every consumer. As of September 2025, the company maintained approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics, and a leading pharmacy benefits manager serving approximately 87 million plan members. The integrated model uses personalized, technology-driven services to connect people to better health, increasing access to quality care while delivering improved outcomes and lowering overall costs.
Conclusion
Aetna’s recognition as Press Ganey’s inaugural Health Plan of the Year validates the company’s unwavering commitment to member-centered healthcare delivery. Through innovative collaborations like HX Exchange, strategic provider partnerships, and relentless focus on experience improvement, Aetna continues setting new industry standards. This award reflects not just past achievements but signals continued leadership in transforming healthcare experiences for millions of Americans.
