CVS MinuteClinics Introduce Primary Care in Select Markets

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CVS Health announced last week that it now will provide in-network primary care for Aetna members in select markets through its MinuteClinics. This service is available for some individual and commercial members in Houston, San Antonio and the greater Atlanta area, with plans for future expansion. MinuteClinics, located in CVS pharmacies, total about 1,100 locations nationwide.

Creagh Milford, D.O., MPH, president of retail health for CVS, said that while the national average wait time for a primary care appointment is about 26 days, some MinuteClinic patients report having waited three months to a year to see their primary care provider. This lack of timely access often results in higher-cost visits to emergency departments or urgent care centers and limits preventive care access.

MinuteClinics currently serve about 5 million patients, with data showing that about half do not have a primary care provider or have not seen one in years. This represents an opportunity for CVS to connect patients with essential primary care services. Milford noted that in pilot markets, interest in primary care services has been strong.

Historically, MinuteClinics have offered wellness visits, chronic condition management and behavioral health services. In these initial markets, this has expanded to include a full range of primary care services. MinuteClinics leverage Epic's electronic health record system to support comprehensive population health management and identify care gaps, enabling value-based primary care delivery.

CVS’s expansion into primary care with MinuteClinics includes plans to launch in two more markets this year and expand further in 2025. This move comes amid a mixed landscape for retail health: Walmart recently closed its health clinics and Walgreens is considering selling its primary care unit, VillageMD.