In 2015, Aetna’s CEO, Mark Bertolini, announced that he would pay a minimum wage of $16 per hour. This move was part of a larger strategy to instill a sense of shared purpose in Aetna’s employees, with the aim of improving healthcare in the US. Bertolini wanted to ensure that his employees were committed to this mission in the long-term.
Aetna’s mission was to help US patients access the exact care they needed, with a focus on personalized treatment. This was a shift from simply selling health insurance to actively supporting patients. By treating patients before they got too ill, Aetna was able to keep costs lower while ensuring much-improved healthcare outcomes for patients.
