Aetna to expand clinical collaboration program to ten hospitals

HARTFORD - Aetna, a CVS Health company (NYSE:CVS), announced Monday it will expand its Aetna Clinical Collaboration (ACC) program to ten hospitals by the end of 2025, with implementations currently underway at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, Houston Methodist and WakeMed Health & Hospitals.

The program embeds Aetna nurses within hospital settings to work alongside hospital staff, focusing on supporting Medicare Advantage members during transitions from hospital to home or to skilled nursing facilities.

According to the company, approximately one in four program members are already actively engaged with an Aetna care manager since the first ACC program was implemented earlier this year. Once fully scaled, Aetna projects the program will reduce year-over-year 30-day readmissions and hospital length of stay by five percent.

"Hospital discharge is one the most important and vulnerable moments in a patient’s journey," said Dr. Ben Kornitzer, Senior Vice President and Aetna Chief Medical Officer, in the press release.

The initiative targets a significant healthcare challenge, as nearly 20 percent of Medicare-insured patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge, according to research cited by the company.

Aetna, which serves approximately 4 million members over 65, plans to continue expanding the ACC program across its network in 2026 and beyond. The company also stated it is implementing the program for its Commercial business.

The announcement comes as healthcare providers and insurers seek solutions to reduce hospital readmissions and improve care transitions for aging populations. For detailed analysis of CVS Health’s financial health and growth prospects, including 10 key ProTips and comprehensive valuation metrics, visit InvestingPro to access the full Pro Research Report.

In other recent news, CVS Health has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.665 per share, payable on November 3, 2025, to shareholders of record as of October 23, 2025. The company has also settled for $12.25 million with Massachusetts over allegations of overcharging the state’s Medicaid program, MassHealth, by not providing the same discounts available to cash-paying customers. Additionally, Wolfe Research has raised its price target for CVS Health to $85 from $80, maintaining an Outperform rating, citing the company’s potential for significant earnings growth by 2028. Cantor Fitzgerald has reiterated its Overweight rating on CVS Health with a price target of $78, highlighting a positive outlook amid changes in the health insurance marketplace. Meanwhile, CVS Caremark has decided not to include Gilead Sciences’ HIV prevention drug Yeztugo in its commercial formularies, posing a temporary setback for Gilead. These developments reflect ongoing strategic and financial activities surrounding CVS Health.

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