Aetna Lays Off 200

Health insurer Aetna has implemented 200 layoffs, and says 50 positions have been cut in Connecticut. WNPR’s Harriet Jones reports.

Hartford-based Aetna sent out notifications to its employees in the middle of last week, and most of those affected left by Friday. The cuts are across a variety of departments and job functions. Aetna says declining medical membership rolls are to blame for the staff cuts. 

The insurer has lost about half a million members this year, largely because of layoffs at its client companies, and it’s not projecting any immediate improvement. Aetna is forecasting that it will see another similar sized loss of members next year, as uncertainty over the economy continues.

Aetna last laid off workers in February, eliminating more than 600 positions in that round of cuts. That followed a similar round at the end of 2009. The insurer employs more than 34,000 people, including 7,000 in Connecticut.

For WNPR, I'm Harriet Jones.