CVS Health and Hartford HealthCare on Thursday announced they are expanding a collaboration that allows patients to receive in-network adult primary care services at all Connecticut MinuteClinic locations for many insurance plans accepted by the healthcare system.
CVS Health and Hartford HealthCare on Thursday announced they are expanding a collaboration that allows patients to receive in-network adult primary care services at all Connecticut MinuteClinic locations for many insurance plans accepted by the healthcare system.
The initiative is intended to improve access to primary care in Connecticut, where healthcare systems continue to face a shortage of primary care physicians, the organizations said.
The arrangement covers 20 MinuteClinic locations statewide and offers patients same-day or next-day appointments, as well as evening and weekend hours.
Under the collaboration, MinuteClinic patients will have access to HHC’s broader network of hospitals, specialists, imaging services and laboratories. Care coordination will be supported through interoperable electronic health records that allow MinuteClinic providers and HHC clinicians to share information more seamlessly, the organizations said.
HHC President and CEO Jeffrey A. Flaks said the partnership is designed to create “more convenient entry points” into the healthcare system while improving affordability and patient outcomes.
More than 65% of MinuteClinic locations nationwide now offer adult primary care services through affiliations with health systems and insurers, CVS officials said. The company began offering primary care to eligible patients in Connecticut last summer.
MinuteClinic primary care services are provided by nurse practitioners and physician assistants and include routine checkups, chronic disease management, screenings, vaccinations and treatment for minor illnesses.
