CVS HEALTH CORPORATION - CVS STOCK NEWS

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has launched the new CVS Health app, succeeding the CVS Pharmacy app, designed to streamline healthcare management and improve customer experience. The app integrates multiple features including family prescription management across CVS Pharmacy stores, Caremark mail orders, and Specialty pharmacies, immunization scheduling, and health spending tracking for eligible Caremark and Aetna members.

Key features include faster in-store prescription pickups via personalized barcodes, AI-powered search functionality, and a redesigned home screen with personalized health recommendations. The app also provides wellness content through partnerships with Everyday Health and Headspace. Future enhancements planned for 2025 include personalized recommendations for chronic condition management, conversational AI chat, and enhanced integration with Aetna and Caremark services.

With 60 million digital customers, CVS Health aims to make healthcare more accessible, affordable, and convenient through this comprehensive digital solution.

CVS Health Foundation has announced a $4 million grant initiative over five years to support healthy aging programs across four U.S. cities. The funding will be distributed equally ($1 million each) to organizations in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Boynton Beach, focusing on improving healthcare access and resources for aging community members with brain, heart, and behavioral conditions.

The initiative responds to demographic shifts, as Census Bureau projections indicate that by 2034, Americans over 64 will outnumber those under 18. The grants will support various programs including Atlanta's Community Resource Hub, Chicago's Center for Better Aging's coordinated care model, New York's Care Your Way telemedicine initiative, and Boynton Beach's caregiver support program.

Each recipient organization will focus on specific local needs, from providing medically tailored meals and educational services to establishing data systems for tracking health outcomes and expanding telemedicine infrastructure.

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has announced it will host a conference call with analysts and investors on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025, at 8:00 a.m. ET. The call will discuss the company's fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results. The event will be accessible via audio webcast on the Investor Relations section of CVS Health's website at investors.cvshealth.com, where it will remain archived for one year.

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has implemented comprehensive measures to support communities affected by California wildfires. CVS Pharmacy stores are reopening where safe, with pharmacy lines rerouted to nearby locations to ensure prescription access. The company is enabling one-time emergency 30-day medication refills through CVS Caremark for plan members in impacted areas.

CVS Specialty is actively contacting patients to arrange alternate delivery arrangements and medication access. Aetna has expanded its clinical response teams for Medicare and Commercial members, allowing emergency care access anywhere needed. The company has also extended its Resources For Living (RFL) services, offering mental health support and community resources through a dedicated crisis support line at 1-833-327-AETNA.

Zydus Lifesciences has announced an agreement with CVS Caremark to include its diabetes medications Zituvio™, Zituvimet™, and Zituvimet™ XR in CVS's template formulary starting January 1, 2025. These products, containing sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride, are approved by the FDA through the 505(b)(2) route for improving glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The medications work through DPP-4 inhibition and as biguanides, serving as an adjunct to diet and exercise. According to IQVIA™ data (MAT Aug-2023), the U.S. market for DPP-IV inhibitors and their combinations is valued at US$ 10 billion. This partnership represents a significant opportunity for Zydus to expand its presence in the U.S. market with its differentiated product portfolio.

CVS Health has announced that all commercial prescriptions at CVS Pharmacy will now be reimbursed through their new CVS CostVantage model starting this year. This innovative reimbursement approach uses a transparent formula based on drug acquisition cost, a set markup, and a service fee reflecting pharmacy service quality.

The model aims to transform pharmacy reimbursement by removing market reliance on cross-subsidization and providing greater clarity in pricing. According to recent survey data, 81% of consumers trust their local pharmacist, and 88% view pharmacists as their most accessible healthcare providers, with nearly 1 in 3 Americans visiting pharmacies weekly—twice as often as physician visits.

The initiative represents a strategic shift towards more sustainable retail pharmacy services, with plans to eventually expand to Medicare and Medicaid managed prescriptions. This new approach helps reduce the need for higher rates on some medicines to subsidize losses on others, while providing enhanced transparency for PBMs and payors.

CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) has announced its board of directors has approved a quarterly dividend of $0.665 per share on the Common Stock. The dividend will be paid on February 3, 2025, to shareholders of record as of January 23, 2025.

Varo Bank has announced a collaboration with Green Dot and CVS Health to enable zero-fee cash deposits for its customers at over 7,500 participating CVS Pharmacy locations nationwide. This service could save customers who regularly deposit cash approximately $120 or more annually.

The initiative leverages Green Dot's embedded finance platform (Arc) and money movement network. As the first all-digital nationally chartered bank in the U.S., Varo offers various fee-free banking services including no monthly fees, minimum balance requirements, transfer fees, or overdraft fees. Additional benefits include free withdrawals at 40,000+ Allpoint® ATMs, 2-day early payday with direct deposits, automatic cash back rewards, and eligibility for Varo Advance and Line of Credit services.

Aetna, a CVS Health company, has enhanced its Aetna Health app with Spanish language capabilities, making it accessible to all eligible health plan members. The update includes Spanish translations for identity cards, benefit details, deductibles, claims, cost estimates, and healthcare provider information.

The initiative aims to improve navigation, health literacy, and care access for Spanish-speaking members. Aetna also provides Spanish-speaking care managers and customer service representatives, while conducting community outreach through events and broadcast interviews to share public health information in Spanish.

The company plans to explore expanding language capabilities further to serve its diverse member population.