Aetna, a CVS Health company, on Aug. 10 unveiled its new virtual primary care service for self-funded employers powered by Teladoc Health.
With the Aetna Virtual Primary Care benefit, members have access to physicians and a nurse care team through virtual communications and telehealth including in-app text messaging or phone calls before and after visits. Members also have access to existing Aetna virtual care offerings such as mental health counseling, dermatology and 24/7 urgent care.
The new service also lets patients continue a relationship with a single virtual care physician beginning from the first comprehensive primary care appointment that extends to every visit after. This lets the patient keep the same provider throughout their primary care journey.
Members have a zero-dollar copay for virtual primary care visits and select in-person services at MinuteClinic and CVS HealthHub locations.
"The future of digital health solutions is rapidly unfolding," CVS Health Executive Vice President and Aetna President Dan Finke said in a news release. "Aetna Virtual Primary Care is a first-of-its-kind healthcare solution that provides a simple, affordable, convenient way for eligible members to receive quality primary care from a physician-led care team that knows them and is accessible from virtually anywhere."