Here’s what CVS’s potential breakup could mean for you

By Janelle Nanos Globe Staff,Updated October 1, 2024

Over the past year, CVS has made a concerted push to court seniors to enroll in its Aetna Medicare programs by offering free sports equipment, fishing rods, and other enticements. It worked maybe a little too well for CVS, as the surge in new customers backfired when the medical costs for those sporty seniors spiraled well beyond the company’s expectations.

And more store closings will likely exacerbate the growth of pharmacy deserts, pockets of low income neighborhoods whose residents do not have easy access to pharmacies. It makes Dima Qato, an associate professor at the University of Southern California who studies pharmacy access, nervous about what a breakup would mean for everyday customers. “Is it going to benefit the beneficiaries or the community or lower copays or increase premiums for the Aetna patents? What does it mean to the population being served?” she said. “It’s hard to know.”