(Bloomberg) --Aetna Inc., whose founding more than 150 years ago helped turn Hartford, Connecticut, into the insurance capital of the U.S., is thinking about leaving.
The health insurer is in negotiations with several states about relocating its headquarters, and will make a decision by early summer, T.J. Crawford, an Aetna spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday. Luke Bronin, Hartford’s mayor, called the insurer’s departure “a hard blow for the state and for the greater Hartford region.”
Aetna said the goal of the relocation is “broadening our access to innovation and the talent that will fill knowledge economy-type positions.”
“We remain committed to our Connecticut-based employees and the Hartford campus,” Crawford said.
A departure by the company would be the latest loss for the state. General Electric Co. said last year that it would move its headquarters to Boston from Fairfield, Connecticut, after a three-year search and getting incentives that helped offset the cost of the change.
