CVS Health Corp.’s deal to acquire Aetna Inc. for about $67.5 billion in cash and stock has the health care industry abuzz, nearly overshadowing the other weekend's major news, the passage of the Senate's tax bill. Granted it's going to take experts just a little bit longer to weigh the effects of that 500-page document on health care, but for now, those in the industry have plenty to say about the CVS/Aetna deal.
For the most part, everyone agrees that the move has the potential to disrupt health care--whether it delivers, however, depends on a nunber of factors. What could change, and what would it mean for consumers? Let's hear from three industry leaders:
Brian Marcotte, CEO of the National Business
Group on Health in Washington, D.C.
"This acquisition is unlike others we’ve seen in health care, which have been more horizontal than vertical. We’ve seen other vertical acquisitions, such as hospitals becoming insurers, but the concern we’ve had is that there’s not a good track record of these health care mergers improving customer experience or lowering the cost of health care.
"What’s interesting about this one is that it does have the potential to create better access and more convenience to consumers through CVS’ retail pharmacy network. However, CVS will need to expand the number of its clinics, and not just the number of locations, but maybe also the breath of services in order to do that. If they can deliver that, it could result in lower costs for these types of services.
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Katie Kuehner-Hebert
Katie Kuehner-Hebert is a freelance writer based in Running Springs, Calif. She has more than three decades of journalism experience, with particular expertise in employee benefits and other human resource topics.
