CVS Caremark Showcases Program to Inform Customers About Health Insurance Options

WOONSOCKET, R.I., Sept. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CVS Caremark (NYSE: CVS) today showcased the details of a company-wide information and outreach program to help customers make informed decisions about their insurance options under the new health care law during a store visit in Orlando with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The program includes retail events and brochure displays at more than 7,500 CVS/pharmacy stores and 650 MinuteClinic locations. Information is also available online at www.cvs.com/insurance.

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"Providing information about new health insurance coverage opportunities is in keeping with our purpose of helping people on their path to better health," said Larry Merlo, President and CEO of CVS Caremark who led the tour with Secretary Sebelius. "Over the coming months, our pharmacists and stores will be serving a key role in providing a point of activation for customers to learn more."

A recent CVS Caremark survey found that pharmacies will be a primary resource to meet the needs of uninsured Americans, with 68 percent of those surveyed expecting retail pharmacies to offer health insurance information in-store and/or online. Among those asking for help, Hispanics and the youngest group surveyed (aged 18-35) were significantly more likely to say they need help understanding the exchanges.

"Families look to their local pharmacy as a place they can go to for honest, straightforward advice they can trust," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.  "Americans trust their pharmacists for tell-it-like-it-is advice about their health, and pharmacies, like CVS, have a special role in these efforts.  We thank CVS Caremark and CVS stores nationwide for their commitment to providing Americans with the information they need about the Health Insurance Marketplace."

CVS/pharmacy will also be hosting approximately 5,000 in-store events with health insurance experts, including representatives of state exchanges and local health plans.  In addition, in September, representatives from Get Covered America will be available at CVS/pharmacy Project Health free health screening events.

About CVS Caremark

CVS Caremark is dedicated to helping people on their path to better health as the largest integrated pharmacy company in the United States. Through the company's more than 7,500 CVS/pharmacy stores; its leading pharmacy benefit manager serving more than 60 million plan members; and its retail health clinic system, the largest in the nation with more than 650 MinuteClinic locations, it is a market leader in mail order, retail and specialty pharmacy, retail clinics, and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans. As a pharmacy innovation company with an unmatched breadth of capabilities, CVS Caremark continually strives to improve health and lower costs by developing new approaches such as its unique Pharmacy Advisor program that helps people with chronic diseases such as diabetes obtain and stay on their medications. Find more information about how CVS Caremark is reinventing pharmacy for better health at info.cvscaremark.com.

SOURCE CVS Caremark