CVS Health Corp.
CVS,
-1.48%
and its Aetna health insurance business announced Wednesday that it will enter the Affordable Care Act individual insurance market place in these five states next year: Florida, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina and Texas. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, the plans will feature no-cost or low-cost visits to CVS's MinuteClinics, access to a Care Concierge at CVS HealthHUB locations and 90-day refills delivered to their door for free. In most of the states, select CVS Health Brand health and wellness products will be available at a 20% discount. "With the combined strength of Aetna and CVS Health, we're uniquely positioned to provide greater value for consumers, particularly the millions of Americans who are uninsured or underinsured," said Aetna President Dan Finke. "We are taking a human-centered approach to health care by connecting people to the services and support they want - in their neighborhood, home and virtually anywhere they need us." Earlier, CVS reported second-quarter earnings that beat expectations, and said it raised its minimum wage to $15 per hour. CVS stock, which dropped 3.9% in premarket trading, has rallied 23.0% year to date through Tuesday, while the S&P 500
SPX,
-0.39%
has gained 17.8%.