CVS Health makes hefty pledge for community health programs

1/14/2019
CVS Health is launching an expansive community healthy initiative on the heels of its completed acquisition of health insurer Aetna.

CVS Health announced a $100 million commitment to a new initiative, called “Building Healthier Communities,” which will be funded over five years through the combined company as well as the CVS Health Foundation and Aetna Foundation. The new program, which builds on the combined capabilities and resources of both companies, is designed to deliver “a measurable impact on the health of communities across the United States.”

"Health starts at the community level,” said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health, during a speech today at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. “By combining the capabilities and philanthropic resources of CVS Health and Aetna, we can engage and empower local communities to address their unique health care needs and make a real difference. Ultimately, we're aspiring to deliver better health care which in turn creates better communities and a better world."

Under the initiative, CVS Health will invest $20 million annually across three funding categories to support a range of initiatives and non-profit organizations. These include expanding the company’s Project Health campaign to target more underserved and underinsured communities beginning in 2019, with an aim of reaching more at-risk populations with free health and wellness screenings. CVS Health will also continue to make strategic investments that enable access for more people to local resources like Meals on Wheels, free clinics and community health centers.

Under the initiative, CVS Health will make significant investments in support of innovative approaches to managing chronic disease, including diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. As part of the new commitment, it will also continue to help tackle the nation's opioid crisis, with funding directed to organizations that are innovating in the area of addiction treatment.

In addition, through the Aetna Foundation and its collaboration with U.S. News & World Report, CVS Health will support the Healthiest Communities rankings, a report that evaluates the health of nearly 3,000 communities nationwide across 10 categories, from education and population health to infrastructure and economy. In addition to assessing which communities offer their citizens the greatest opportunity to live a productive, healthy life, the rankings, which were first released in 2018, identify the best approaches for improving public health that can be shared and implemented across the country.

CVS Health and Aetna employees have pledged a minimum $10 million in value of volunteer hours each year, offering their time and expertise to creating healthier, more sustainable communities.

“We believe the path to better health and a better world can be reached by creating a whole new health care model that's more local, affordable, and easier to use,” Merlo said. “And by strengthening our local support and community engagement, we can further improve the health of our communities.”

In addition, CVS Health and Aetna employees have pledged a minimum $10 million in value of volunteer hours each year, offering their time and expertise with a goal of creating healthier, more sustainable communities.
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