Could Urgent Care Be the Next Step for CVS, Post Aetna Deal?

The retail clinic market might not be the only one affected by CVS Health’s union with Aetna. CVS CEO Larry Merlo has been talking about finding ways for his company to work more closely with physicians for the past year or so. With the Aetna all but in the bag, it may not be too long before that possibility manifests with a dive into the urgent care pool, if a new post on the HealthLeaders website is to be believed. At the very least, it continues, we may see more urgent care-like services offered in at least some of the drugstore chain’s 9,800 locations—1,100 of which already house MinuteClinic locations. That would clearly give them an advantage in the retail space (beyond the one they already have by virtue of their market coverage), but also add a wrinkle to urgent care markets where CVS has a strong presence. CVS Health’s primary competitor, Walgreens Boots Alliance, is already piloting the urgent care–drugstore combination location in 15 locations in six states.