Aetna Increases Member Primary Care Access With New Virtual Plan

CVS Health and Aetna have launched a virtual primary care service to increase member access to preventive care.

Aetna Virtual Primary Care will provide members with telehealth services as well as a selection of in-person benefits.

“The future of digital health solutions is rapidly unfolding,” Dan Finke, executive vice president of CVS Health and president of Aetna, said in the press release.

“Aetna Virtual Primary Care is a first-of-its-kind health care solution that provides a simple, affordable, convenient way for eligible members to receive quality primary care from a physician-led care team that knows them and is accessible from virtually anywhere.”

The service combines a virtual healthcare model with Aetna’s provider network and CVS Health’s benefits to offer members several options for receiving care.

The payer is prioritizing patient-provider relationships by offering Aetna members access to a virtual primary care physician who can continue to see them for every appointment following their initial meeting. The payer also has a specialist team on hand that can assist with care coordination.

Patients can receive primary care services and chronic care management that fits in with their personalized health plan. Aetna’s new service also offers patients a zero-dollar copay for virtual primary care visits.

Members can benefit from certain in-person care services as well. Select services have a zero-dollar copay when members utilize the service at a CVS MinuteClinic or a CVS HealthHUB, the press release noted. Members can also schedule in-person visits with no referral needed, as long as it is with an in-network provider.

“Aetna Virtual Primary Care gives our members the power of choice and convenience, making it easier for people to get and stay healthy, even when balancing the demands of work and life,” Finke added.

“This, coupled with access to in-person visits with providers in our network, including MinuteClinic and HealthHUB locations, provides the flexibility needed for better health outcomes.

In addition to virtual appointments, Aetna’s virtual primary care program includes in-app text messaging and phone calls which members can use to communicate with nurses. Members can use this resource for questions or concerns regarding their visit, whether it is before, during, or after the appointment.

The virtual care team can also assist members with finding their in-person appointment destinations.

The payer’s primary care service will encompass existing virtual care benefits including 24/7 urgent care, mental health counseling, and dermatology services, according to the press release. 

Aetna Virtual Primary Care aligns with the payer’s omnichannel approach to treating mental and behavioral health conditions. CVS Health and Aetna decided to place clinical social workers at HealthHUB locations, expanding the services to include mental health assessments, referrals, and counseling.

In a past interview, Cara McNulty, president of behavioral health and the Employee Assistance Program at Aetna, told HealthPayerIntelligence that the payer planned to mirror the in-person service with a virtual care program, providing patients with options when it came to receiving mental healthcare.

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit, payers have increasingly introduced virtual care options for their members to not only limit in-person interaction due to the coronavirus but also to offer more convenient and accessible care delivery.

For example, Community Health Choice launched a virtual primary care plan at the beginning of 2021. The program offered members access to preventive care, urgent care, and behavioral healthcare services through telehealth visits. The plan also boasted the lowest monthly premium out of all the payer’s health plans.

Oscar Health also introduced a virtual primary care program in July 2020, providing members with access to free unlimited virtual primary care visits as well as free urgent care services. The payer’s plan benefits included healthcare navigators who can help facilitate care coordination.