HARTFORD, Conn., April 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Aetna®, a CVS Health® company (NYSE: CVS), is setting the pace for prior authorization reform, moving faster and further to simplify access to care for patients and providers.
Aetna today announced the company has already standardized 88% of its prior authorization volume, exceeding industry commitments, and continues to maintain the fewest medical services requiring prior authorization among national health plans.
“Aetna is proud to lead, and most importantly, to deliver better, faster care to people who need it,” said Aetna President Steve Nelson. “Prior authorization should enable care, not delay it. We’re modernizing the process with speed, transparency, and clinical judgment to benefit everyone we serve.”
Aetna’s industry-leading results reflect its continued momentum:
- 95%+ of eligible prior authorizations approved within 24 hours
- 83% processed in real time, exceeding AHIP’s 2027 industry commitment of 80%
- More than 1 million provider calls eliminated through automation and digital tools
Beyond simplification, Aetna is redefining prior authorization by becoming the first national payer to integrate medical and pharmacy decisions into single, condition-specific reviews. Newly launched bundled prior authorization programs, including a comprehensive musculoskeletal offering, build on earlier cancer bundles and create a more seamless experience for patients and providers alike.
About Aetna
Aetna, a CVS Health business, serves an estimated 37 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental and behavioral health plans, and medical management capabilities, Medicaid health care management services, workers’ compensation administrative services and health information technology products and services. Aetna’s customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, health care professionals, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, visit Aetna.com (e.g., clinical diagnoses, eligibility criteria, participation in a disease state management program).
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a leading health solutions company building a world of health around every consumer, wherever they are. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 87 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including highly rated Medicare Advantage offerings and a leading standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. The Company’s integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
Media Contact
David Whitrap
David.Whitrap@CVSHealth.com
857-523-1219
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aetna-announces-progress-on-industry-leading-efforts-to-simplify-prior-authorization-302752426.html
SOURCE CVS Health
