In this episode, we chatted with Dan Knecht, M.D., M.B.A., Vice President of Clinical Product at CVS Health. Prior to this, Dan served as Vice President of Health Strategy and Innovation for Medical Affairs at Aetna, a CVS Health company.

What we discussed:

● The CVS Health-Aetna merger in 2018 has enabled the joint company to create more customer-centric care by marrying advanced data analytics across Aetna's ~21 million members with care management and better access to health care for consumers via CVS Health's extensive retail presence.

● CVS Health balances localized care with national scale by developing products and services that address the needs of specific patient segments while continuously improving clinical product design through broad data analytic capabilities and a robust feedback cycle from providers and patients nationwide.

● CVS Health continues to invest in digital offerings and homecare services to meet the patient wherever they are in their health care journey. CVS Health is also expanding its virtual care, chronic care and behavioral health services in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, to meet consumers where they are and support them for every meaningful moment of health throughout their lifetime..

● COVID-19 has spurred CMS to expand its definition of healthcare, resulting in reimbursement for a broader range of services, including transportation, nutrition, and telemedicine. These changes will likely persist and benefit patients' health in the long run.