CVS Health is the first healthcare company to receive Health Equity accreditation from URAC, recognizing the work done through CVS Caremark and CVS Specialty. URAC sets high standards in healthcare quality, covering clinical practice, consumer protections, performance measurement, operations infrastructure, and risk management. The accreditation acknowledges CVS Health’s comprehensive approach to addressing health inequities for the populations it serves, demonstrating its commitment to quality, safety, and improved outcomes in reducing health disparities, particularly for underserved communities affected by social determinants of health (SDOH).
“Advancing health equity is not just a moral responsibility, it’s a core business priority,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer at CVS Health. “We have developed a strategy that uses data to enhance our products, programs, and services, particularly for those facing the greatest barriers to achieving optimal health.”
The CVS Caremark and CVS Specialty teams have shown their commitment to health equity by seeking and earning URAC accreditation. Caremark’s proprietary Pharmacoequity Tool helps clients identify members at high risk of poor health outcomes and proactively address care disparities. By analyzing pharmacy claims data and publicly available information, the tool targets chronic conditions—such as breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and Parkinson’s disease—to pinpoint where the largest health disparities exist. It also helps tailor interventions like care management programs to improve outcomes. Clients have seen notable improvements, from better HEDIS and STARS measures to enhanced adherence for specialty conditions and potential medical cost savings.
“We understand that many face barriers to better health, so we use this tool to connect members with the right medications and care management programs at the right time,” said Dr. Michelle Gourdine, Chief Medical Officer of CVS Caremark. “Our focus is on key areas like medication adherence, treatment optimization, and managing prescriber utilization across conditions like diabetes and hypertension.”
Research shows that social determinants of health (SDOH) influence up to 80% of a person’s well-being. These non-medical factors—such as access to food, housing, education, and transportation—can significantly affect health outcomes. CVS Specialty’s SDOH platform helps identify patients at risk for poor health outcomes, referring them to community-based organizations for essential services like transportation, meal delivery, childcare, financial assistance, and mental health support. The platform tracks the effectiveness of these interventions, which helps improve patient outcomes.
CVS Health’s health equity strategy also includes efforts to address the root causes of health disparities across the country. The company promotes diversity and inclusion in the workplace, educates employees about healthcare inequities, and empowers them to collaborate on solutions, including cultural competency training to improve patient care. Additionally, CVS Health established a quality management committee to oversee and measure quality, working with stakeholders to identify and address disparities.
“These efforts are all part of our larger Health Equity in Action strategy,” Dr. Khaldun explains. “By leveraging data, we can understand the challenges our patients and members face and improve our programs to address them. This helps us work with our employees and partners to support underserved communities.
