CVS-Aetna Deal Could Mean End of Era in How Drugs Are Paid For
- Express Scripts, Walgreens might feel pressure to combine
- Tie-up talks seen as reaction to possible arrival of Amazon
Wall Street Sees CVS, Aetna Deal as Defensive Play
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If Aetna Inc. is eventually swallowed by CVS Health Corp., an important part of the health-care business will be changed -- perhaps for good.
For years, pharmacy benefits were largely carved out from the rest of a medical coverage plan. But increasingly the two services are being combined, a move that in theory will make it easier to verify whether expensive drugs are worth the cost. A merger of the third-biggest health insurer with the largest U.S. drugstore chain, which also operates a pharmacy-benefit management company, could speed the process.