CVS Health launches initiative to track extreme heat

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CVS Health is spearheading an environmental health impact initiative meant to help people who are the most vulnerable to extreme weather events such as prolonged stretches of intense heat, which can worsen existing chronic conditions.

The initiative is focusing first on extreme heat events to provide timely excessive heat alerts and tailored outreach to at-risk patients and will expand in the fall to patients susceptible to reduced lung function, asthma and cardiac problems resulting from exposure to high levels of air pollution.

Excessive weather events are becoming more common and severe, according to the U.S. Global Change Research Program's Fifth National Climate Assessment.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT

Initially, the initiative will be available to members of CVS Health company Aetna, with the goal to eventually expand to MinuteClinic and CVS Pharmacy locations.

The initiative pairs advanced environmental data analytics that provide real-time, localized forecasting on air quality, wildfires, weather and other environmental factors with a patient's medical and pharmacy data.

This approach, said CVS, enables Aetna care managers to contact vulnerable patients with personalized recommendations up to seven days in advance of an extreme weather event. Interventions include directing patients to CVS Health's range of resources, including Oak Street Health clinics available as cooling centers, health services provided by the company's MinuteClinic locations and medication management at CVS Pharmacy.

Care managers use several resources when making clinical recommendations to at-risk patients, including CDC clinical guidance documents, said CVS.

During the first two weeks of the initiative, care managers have connected with hundreds of at-risk patients across more than 20 states, including directing some to cooling centers and checking in with vulnerable patients post-hospital care to provide guidance to minimize heat exhaustion. 

In addition to improved health, anticipated outcomes include reduced medical expenditures and minimized in-patient stays and emergency department visits.

THE LARGER TREND

Earlier this year, CVS Health acquired New York-based Medicare Advantage broker Hella Health for an undisclosed sum. Saying that his company enables "transformation of the Medicare buying experience," Hella Health founder and CEO Rafal Walkiewicz said in the post that adding Hella Health to CVS' family of companies will allow CVS to further commit to enhancing its digital capabilities, especially for seniors.

In 2023, CVS closed on its $8 billion acquisition for Signify Health for a home health platform.

CVS, also in 2023, snagged Oak Street Health in an all-cash transaction valued at around $10.6 billion. Oak Street Health is a multi-payer, value-based primary care company focused on older adults that has a care model and technology platform it describes as scalable.

ON THE RECORD

"Extreme heat kills more Americans each year than all other weather events combined," said Dr. Dan Knecht, a practicing physician and vice president and chief clinical innovation officer for CVS Caremark, a division of CVS Health. "In addition to fatalities driven by heat strokes, extreme heat can worsen chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Most heat-related deaths are preventable with outreach and intervention."
 

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.