Alia Paavola – August 28, 2019
Since buying health
insurer Aetna in November, CVS Health has emphasized holistic healthcare rather
than just selling medicine. The company said it hopes its strategic shift will
lead to healthier communities and lower healthcare costs.
Below is a timeline of
health-related moves from CVS reported by Becker's Hospital Review since
it finalized its deal with Aetna. The timeline doesn't include the CVS
acquisitions of other retail pharmacies.
Nov. 28, 2018. CVS Health closes its $69 billion acquisition of
Aetna. CVS Health President and CEO Larry Merlo says the deal "will
simplify a complicated system and will help people achieve better health at a
lower cost. We are also leading change in healthcare by challenging the status
quo with new technologies, business models and partnerships."
Jan. 9. Mr. Merlo says CVS will kick-start specialized
services for Aetna members with cardiovascular disease and pilot a readmission
prevention program. Under the program, CVS plans to schedule MinuteClinic
follow-ups within 14 days of hospital discharge when patients are unable to see
a physician.
Jan. 14. CVS announces it will spend $100 million over
the next five years on community health initiatives. It pledges to give $20
million annually to initiatives in three categories: improving local access to
affordable, quality care; impacting public health challenges; and partnering
with local communities.
Jan. 30. Reports surface that CVS is piloting
dental services. Under the program, CVS will help fit people for invisible
braces via SmileDirectClub, a startup that offers direct-to-consumer
teeth-straightening kits. Six of its drugstores will add a SmileShopExpress for
customers to receive a 3D scan of their teeth to create invisible braces.
Feb. 13. CVS Health unveils three redesigned health-focused
concept stores in the Houston market. The pilot stores, called HealthHubs, have
space for services to help customers manage such chronic conditions as
diabetes, hypertension and asthma. Each store also has an expanded health
clinic with a lab for blood testing and health screenings. The stores have
respiratory specialists and dietitians on staff.
Feb. 26. It is announced that CVS will spend $325
million and $350 million on technology to support offering more convenient
healthcare.
March 20. CVS starts selling cannabis-based products in
eight states
April 4. CVS expands its same-day prescription
delivery service to 6,000 stores. The move comes as such retailers as CVS and
Walgreens fight to compete with Amazon, which offers same-day delivery on
toothpaste, bandages and other consumer health products.
May 1. CVS Health and
Allentown, Pa.-based Lehigh Valley Health Network sign a five-year agreement that allows
Lehigh Valley Health to share its EHR data with CVS to help connect the dots
between patients, pharmacies, physicians and other health networks.
May 6. CVS Health's
subsidiary ProCare Pharmacy announces it will buy healthcare
improvement company Premier's specialty pharmacy.
June 4. After success
with its pilot sites in Houston, CVS Health announces plans to open 1,500 HealthHub
stores by the end of 2021.
June 11. CVS Health launches a platform that will allow its
pharmacy benefit management clients to better manage contracts with third-party
health and wellness vendors. The tool, Vendor Benefit Management, will offer
CVS Caremark clients access to data on negotiated pricing, real-time
eligibility verification and simpler billing and payment processing.
July 10. MinuteClinic,
CVS Health's retail medical clinic, launches telehealth programs in eight
more states. Patients with minor illnesses, injuries or skin conditions now can
seek care through virtual video visits in Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii,
Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.
July 17. CVS Health
starts clinical trials of a home kidney dialysis device, HemoCare — a move that
could shake up the end-stage kidney care market and create a new healthcare
business for the retail pharmacy giant. The move to provide at-home dialysis
care sets up the retail pharmacy giant to compete with two of the largest
operators of U.S. dialysis centers, Fresenius Medical Care and DaVita.
July 24. CVS Health launches a network to help connect
Aetna's most vulnerable patients to support services in their communities. CVS
will collaborate with Unite Us, a social care coordination platform, to help
Aetna's Medicaid and dual-eligible Medicaid and Medicare members more easily
access social services in their communities. Under the program, eligible
members will be able to access Unite Us' network of social care providers.
July 30. CVS Health selects Sree Chaguturu, MD, to serve as
CMO of its pharmacy benefits management business, CVS Caremark. Dr. Chaguturu
served as chief population health officer for Boston-based Partners HealthCare.
Aug. 5. CVS Health expands its pharmacy loyalty and
membership program nationwide. The CarePass program offers delivery of products
ranging from shampoo to prescription medications. To participate, program
customers pay $5 a month, or $48 annually, for one- to two-day delivery of
drugstore products and prescription drugs, 24/7 access to a pharmacist helpline
and a 20 percent discount on CVS Health-branded products.
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