CVS Health Announces $100 Million Community Commitment Following Acquisition Of Aetna

Following its completed acquisition of Aetna, CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) today announced a $100 million commitment to making community health and wellness central to the newly combined company's charge for a better world. The new Building Healthier Communities initiative, which will be funded over five years through the combined company as well as the CVS Health Foundation and Aetna Foundation, builds upon the outstanding tradition of community investment by both organizations and mobilizes their scale, combined capabilities and resources behind a unified strategy to deliver a measurable impact on the health of communities across the United States.

"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. And by strengthening our local support and community engagement, we can further improve the health of our communities," said Larry J. Merlo, President and CEO, CVS Health, during a speech today at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. "Our new commitment builds upon the exemplary track records of CVS Health and Aetna in supporting community-based organizations to ensure they have the most effective tools, resources and solutions to accelerate the improvement of health care for individuals and families across the country."

Through Building Healthier Communities, CVS Health will invest $20 million annually across three funding categories to support a range of initiatives and non-profit organizations. These include:

Improving Local Access to Affordable Quality Care

Building on its local impact over the past decade, CVS Health will expand its 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. Project Health offers a no-cost comprehensive health assessment, including blood pressure, Body Mass Index (BMI), glucose and total cholesterol screenings, which can detect early risks for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. Since it was founded in 2006, Project Health has delivered more than $127 million in free health care services to nearly 1.7 million Americans.

The expansion of Project Health will also do more to screen for social determinants of health that affect personal health and communities. About 60 percent of life expectancy is driven by behavioral, social and environmental factors – including family, education, housing, and access to fresh food.1 Project Health events have a proven track record of improving patient engagement and ultimately, healthier outcomes.  More than 87% of patients who attend Project Health events report following-up with their primary care physician and were significantly more likely to proactively discuss their blood pressure, BMI and blood sugar levels, according t