Aetna Mock Interview

Practice 35 Aetna interview questions covering healthcare strategy, member services, and values-based scenarios.

WRITTEN BY RYAN BRUNNER
QUESTION 4 OF 35

At Aetna, you may work with patients and customers who are confused or upset about their medical insurance. Tell me about a time you had to teach and train an upset customer. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome?

Health insurance can be very complex for the average consumer. Aetna puts people first in all they do, but you may face challenging customer situations where you have to educate a customer when they are upset or confused. Your interviewer wants to know if you can handle an upset person.

"I had a caller the other week crying because her insurance didn't cover a procedure she had a month prior. She stated that she couldn't afford to pay the bill. I let her talk without interrupting her and listened. I repeated what the issue was to make sure I understood her correctly. I took her information and looked up her account to see what her insurance covered. I discovered that our insurance covered 80% of the procedure, but she had to pay for the other 20%. Through further conversation in a calming voice, I was able to tell her that insurance did cover a big portion of the procedure and gave her the number of the financial assistance office at the hospital to see if they could put her on a payment plan for the remaining portion. I knew from my experience that most health care systems offer this. She sounded relieved when we hung up and thanked me for my help."

"I had a caller who didn't know what his statement meant- he said all of the medical terminologies didn't make sense to him. I wrote down his questions, pulled up his statement, and walked him through each part to help him understand the statement. He didn't have any payments he would be responsible for, so he was very happy. He didn't know this until I took the time to walk him through the statement. He thanked me at the end of the call."

In the situation you discuss, you'll want to show that you cared about the caller and had empathy for their needs. Showcase your problem-solving skills and ability to handle a high degree of emotion on the phone without getting rattled while helping the customer and getting them what they need.

Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.

Anonymous Answer

I remember speaking with a gentleman about his coinsurance. He was very upset and wanted me to know that he did not have any coinsurance. After he spoke for a minute I realize he thought coinsurance meant other health insurance. I let him finish talking and assured him we did not show him as having any other health insurance and then I went on to explain to him what coinsurance meant. Once I explained, he was OK and glad I had explained it to him.

Amanda's Feedback

Terrific! You've used a great example that demonstrates your strong customer service and problem-solving abilities.

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35 Aetna Interview Questions & Answers

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01 The health insurance industry is very complex, and all of our positions at Aetna require strong organizational skills and attention to detail. How do you ensure that your work is properly organized and highly accurate? BEHAVIORAL 02 What inspired you to apply for this position at Aetna? DISCOVERY 03 The health insurance industry is strongly influenced by changing legislation. How do you stay current with new rules and regulations that impact our industry? BEHAVIORAL 04 At Aetna, you may work with patients and customers who are confused or upset about their medical insurance. Tell me about a time you had to teach and train an upset customer. How did you handle the situation, and what was the outcome? BEHAVIORAL 05 You may work with confidential patient data in this role at Aetna. Tell me about a time you followed HIPAA regulations even when it wasn't easy or convenient to do so. BEHAVIORAL 06 Aetna invests in the latest technology to create efficient work flows. Tell me how you've gone about learning new technology in the past. BEHAVIORAL 07 At Aetna, we do a lot of community education to help the people in our local communities understand their health insurance. Tell me about outreach you have done in the community in your previous role. BEHAVIORAL 08 At Aetna, we have many positions where employees work remotely 99% of the time. How would you set yourself up for success in a home office? OPERATIONAL 09 This role at Aetna will have large patient data sets to analyze. Tell me about a large data set you had to analyze and how you added value through your analysis. BEHAVIORAL 10 To work at Aetna, you have to be passionate about compliance and accuracy. Tell me why this is important to you. GENERAL 11 You might have to have difficult conversations with clients or colleagues here at Aetna. Tell me about a difficult conversation you've had during your career. How did you handle that situation? BEHAVIORAL 12 Many of our jobs at Aetna require us to do projects when there is down time. Can you give an example of a project you led start to finish? BEHAVIORAL 13 Our goal is to hire ambitious people. Tell me about a time you went the extra mile, even when it may not have been required or asked of you. BEHAVIORAL 14 We always look to hire employees with strong problem solving skills at Aetna. Talk about a problem you successfully resolved in the workplace. BEHAVIORAL 15 We want to hire people who can grow and thrive at Aetna. When have you stretched yourself in your current role and done more than what was expected of you? BEHAVIORAL 16 What patient care philosophy or customer care philosophy will you bring to our team at Aetna? GENERAL 17 If you could expand your knowledge and expertise in any area of the health insurance industry, which area would area you choose? GENERAL 18 At Aetna, we believe in continuous feedback. Tell me about a time you received constructive feedback. What did you do after hearing this? BEHAVIORAL 19 Tell me about your healthcare-related education and training. EDUCATION 20 At Aetna, innovation is important to us. Give an example of an innovative idea you've had recently. BEHAVIORAL 21 We encourage professional curiosity and an entrepreneurial mindset in our workplace. If you could start your own business, what would you do? GENERAL 22 At Aetna, how will you connect with a customer you are working with virtually? OPERATIONAL 23 If Aetna hired you today, what would you accomplish first? GENERAL 24 What is your process of explaining technical information to people who aren't technical? COMMUNICATION 25 At Aetna, sometimes we have to make difficult decisions about whether or not a medical service is covered. In the past, how did you put aside your personal feelings for the good of the business? BEHAVIORAL 26 This role would involve sales to new partners who want to offer their employees our health insurance. How do you have meaningful discussions with prospective clients? COMMUNICATION 27 At Aetna, we want a world class call center where each team member is empowered to give feedback to others. Tell me about a time you gave feedback to a colleague. BEHAVIORAL 28 At Aetna, we have many health insurance competitors that we need to have a pulse on. In your current role, how do you stay up to date with competitors? OPERATIONAL 29 At Aetna, we believe in transparency with our health insurance customers and our employees. Tell me about your leadership style in regards to transparency. LEADERSHIP 30 How will you demonstrate sensitivity to others that have a different background than you at Aetna? OPERATIONAL 31 What is your first reaction when you do something wrong in your work? GENERAL 32 What skills do you believe you possess that will help you deliver excellent customer service here at Aetna? DISCOVERY 33 How would you describe your written communication skills? COMMUNICATION 34 Talk about a time you had to work closely with someone who had a problematic personality. BEHAVIORAL 35 How have you handled stress on the job in the past? BEHAVIORAL
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Ryan Brunner
Written by Ryan Brunner
35 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS · AETNA
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