Aetna Confirms It Is In Talks To Move Headquarters From Connecticut

HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Aetna's chief executive confirms the insurance giant has been in conversations to move its headquarters out of Connecticut.

Mark Bertolini, in an email to employees Wednesday, says the company is in negotiations with several states about moving the headquarters from Hartford, with the goal of broadening the company's access to innovation and talent.

He says the company remains committed to its employees at its Hartford campus and hopes to finalize its plans by early summer.

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin released a statement Wednesday saying that he has had multiple conversations with senior leaders at the insurance giant and believes the company decided a long time ago to move the headquarters.

Bronin has called an afternoon news conference to discuss the situation.

Aetna has reportedly been in discussions with cities including Boston and Manhattan.

Columnist and former Connecticut lawmaker Kevin Rennie believes the relocation would only involve the corporate headquarters, which he said would be "the top corporate people, several hundred people who reign over the operation of the corporation as opposed to the other 5,500 people who negotiate contracts and implement Aetna's very complicated health insurance business."

Losing Aetna could be another big blow to the state, WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported.

Last year, General Electric decided to move from Fairfield to Boston.

Companies are concerned about Connecticut's climate, taxes and $2 billion deficit in the years to come, Adams reported.

"Clearly wheels are in motion, this has been going on for a while, but the question in Connecticut people need to ask is what are we going to do about this right now?" Rennie said.

Aetna has been in Hartford for 164 years.

It currently employs about 6,000 people in Connecticut.

(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

In:
• Sean Adams