CVS Health's MinuteClinic is becoming an in-network primary care provider for select Aetna plan members.
Aetna commercial, individual and family health plan members in San Antonio, Houston, Atlanta and south Florida have the option to use MinuteClinic as an in-network primary care provider, with members in North Carolina becoming eligible in the coming weeks, said Dr. Creagh Milford, retail health president at CVS Health.
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CVS has been investing in staffing, technology and training at its MinuteClinic sites for months to expand primary care services in certain markets chosen based on patient density, demographics and existing services in those areas, Milford said.
"We're seeing a lot of growth in the model," Milford said. "Our ambition is to move the patient perception and the payer perception from one of an episodic, acute care model toward a longitudal, relationship-based primary care model."
CVS is in talks with other health plans to grow the MinuteClinic primary care approach, he said.
MinuteClinic serves more than 5 million patients across roughly 1,000 locations and a virtual care platform. The walk-in clinics are typically staffed by nurse practitioners and physician assistants and offer treatment for minor illnesses such as flu or strep throat, in addition to screenings, vaccinations and physicals.
Locations with expanded primary care services are also staffed by registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and medical assistants, Milford said. He declined to say how many clinicians have been hired as part of the new model.
The MinuteClinic sites also have access to a central population health team, which focuses on patient engagement and referrals, he added.
CVS views the MinuteClinic primary care model as complementary to its strategy for Oak Street Health, which serves seniors on Medicare, Milford said. MinuteClinic patients are often younger and have commercial coverage.
MinuteClinic sites also serve as access points for Oak Street patients on nights and weekends, he said.
CVS has bulked up its healthcare offerings in recent years. It acquired Oak Street in 2023 for $10.6 billion and plans to open more of the company's primary care clinics, including some within existing CVS stores. CVS also operates Caremark, a pharmacy benefit manager.
