The company already runs a mobile-friendly website. In addition to the new smartphone app it will also launch new text message services for users without smartphones or web-enabled phones.
The LBS app will initially run on BlackBerry and iPhone. Users will be able to look up claim statuses, find physicians, make appointments, research prescription prices and even identify themselves when they arrive for medical appointments.
The navigation feature in the app will use the smartphone's GPS to locate physicians based on their current location and provide turn-by-turn directions to the consulting rooms. Users will also be able to tap and download a physician's contact info into the address book.
According to Aetna, the iPhone can be used to show the physician an electronic ID card.
Meg McCabe, VP of consumer marketing and product for Aetna, said: "Our culture is increasingly on the go, with one in five Americans accessing the mobile web on a typical day. It's imperative that we meet our members where they are with resources that engage them in making well-informed health care decisions, improve their interactions with their physicians, and even help them save a little money along the way."
