CVS Health Launches New Social Care Network with Unite Us

Approximately 60 percent of a person’s life expectancy is influenced by their everyday activities outside of the doctor’s office – our individual behaviors, as well as social and environmental factors. To address this issue and help people improve their health outside of a clinical setting, CVS Health today announced the first in a series of business programs with an enhanced focus on addressing social determinants of health.

The platform also includes the investments being made at the community level as part of the recently announced Building Healthier Communities initiative, which is a $100 million commitment being funded over five years by CVS Health and the CVS Health and Aetna Foundations intended to make community health and wellness central to the company’s corporate social responsibility platform – Better Health, Better Community, Better World.

“Out of about 6,000 waking hours in a year, most people only spend a handful in a doctor’s office or hospital – you spend the vast majority of your time in your community,” said Karen S. Lynch, Executive Vice President, CVS Health and President, Aetna. “CVS Health is a part of nearly 10,000 communities across the country, so by going beyond our significant philanthropic efforts and addressing social determinants of health through the products and programs our company develops, we have an unprecedented opportunity to improve the health of individuals and communities across America.”

As part of this effort, CVS Health will collaborate with Unite Us, the leading social care coordination platform, to help some of Aetna’s most vulnerable Medicaid and Dual eligible members more easily access social services within their community. Selected Aetna members will be able to use Unite Us’ aggregated network of social care providers, which they can find on their own through a proprietary technology resource developed by Unite Us. Members can also be referred by a community health provider or Aetna nurse case managers who will receive information through this platform. The two companies are also exploring integration through various CVS Health retail assets.

“Our mission is to connect individuals and families across the United States to the services they need through collaboration with local service providers, shared infrastructure, and an inclusive approach for those in need,” said Taylor Justice, Unite Us Co-Founder and President. “Working with CVS Health, we will foster a community of care and a local support system to empower community members to make the most of the services available to them.”

CVS Health and Unite Us will make these programs and services available to Aetna Medicaid members in Louisville, Kentucky during the second half of the year. During this same time, the programs and services will also be available to Aetna’s Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan members (DSNP – people eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare) in Tampa, Florida and Southeastern Louisiana.

About CVS Health

CVS Health is the nation’s premier health innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Whether in one of its pharmacies or through its health services and plans, CVS Health is pioneering a bold new approach to total health by making quality care more affordable, accessible, simple and seamless. CVS Health is community-based and locally focused, engaging consumers with the care they need when and where they need it. The Company has more than 9,900 retail locations, approximately 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 94 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year and expanding specialty pharmacy services. CVS Health also serves an estimated 38 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including rapidly expanding Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company believes its innovative health care model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com.