CVS expanding into primary care with MGB partnership

Mass General Brigham and CVS want to team up to tackle the dearth of primary care services in Massachusetts by expanding care options at MinuteClinic locations.

MGB and MinuteClinic's Primary Care practice, a subsidiary of CVS Pharmacy, filed paperwork with state regulators seeking approval of their proposed clinical affiliation. Massachusetts is home to 37 MinuteClinic sites, which are located with CVS retail stores and staffed by roughly 80 advanced practice providers.

"As one of the nation's largest employers of board-certified advanced practice providers, which includes nurse practitioners and physician associates, MinuteClinic is well-positioned to address gaps in comprehensive primary care access," CVS said in a statement. "Many of the patients we see at MinuteClinic either don't have a primary care provider or have not seen one in years. If clinical affiliation with Mass General Brigham (MGB) is approved, patients will have greater access to primary and preventive care services through MinuteClinic locations in Massachusetts, including same-day access, extended hours and virtual care."

Under the arrangement, MGB patients could receive in-network primary care at MinuteClinic, according to a CVS spokesperson. MinuteClinic would also continue to make acute care services available for all Bay Staters.

The proposed affiliation is also poised to give patients at MinuteClinic "enhanced access" to MGB's network of hospitals, specialists, diagnostic and radiology facilities, and specialty labs, CVS said.

"If needed, patients would be referred to the hospital/specialist that makes the most sense for them from a medical perspective," CVS said. "In some cases, this may include referral to an MGB specialist or hospital to provide coordinated, high-quality care. "

MGB is not making a financial investment into the affiliation, a spokesperson said.

Primary care has emerged as a focal point on Beacon Hill this session, amid troubling trends of Bay Staters struggling to access timely care and ending up in costlier health care settings, including emergency rooms. A primary care task force is working to develop recommendations to boost investments in the sector, tackle workforce shortages, and create standardized data reporting requirements among payers and providers.

In a material change notice filed with the Health Policy Commission on June 6, MinuteClinic's Primary Care practice said its model "represents a strategic evolution of MinuteClinic's care model — from episodic, urgent care to comprehensive longitudinal primary care."

"This transition reflects CVS's commitment to addressing statewide gaps in access, aligning with workforce trends, and meeting the growing demand for scalable, community-based primary care," the notice said.

MinuteClinic already offers in-network adult primary care to some Aetna members in Texas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Connecticut, Tennessee, New Jersey, California, Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., CVS said.

The proposed affiliation must be vetted by HPC regulators. The agency will launch a 30-day review process once CVS and MGB submit additional paperwork. The HPC could subsequently initiate a more rigorous, monthlong review if regulators determine the transaction may have a major impact on health care costs or the market landscape, an agency spokesperson said.

The HPC lacks the authority to block transactions, though it can call on other state agencies — including the Department of Public Health and Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office — to consider action.

Amy Rosenthal, executive director of Health Care For All, said the advocacy organization "believes it is critical to expand access to primary care, especially for those with MassHealth and in underserved areas."

"We are interested in learning more about where these (new) clinics will be located and look forward to a Health Policy Commission analysis related to cost," Rosenthal said in a statement.