Do we like them?

Do we like CVS Health?

US pharmacy chain, pharmacy benefit manager (Caremark) and health insurer (Aetna), based in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

Our score: 3 out of 10. Not one we'd back: it keeps paying out to settle opioid and Medicare billing claims, even though it runs essential pharmacy and health services.

CVS is a giant of US healthcare. It has pharmacies, the Caremark drug-benefit business and the Aetna insurer. In October 2024 David Joyner, who ran Caremark, replaced Karen Lynch as CEO. Roger Farah became executive chairman. Coverage at the time tied the change to rising insurance costs and struggles in its retail pharmacies.

The opioid saga is the big one. In 2022 CVS agreed to about $5 billion over ten years to settle opioid lawsuits brought by states, local governments and tribes. That same year an Ohio judge found CVS, Walgreens and Walmart liable and ordered them to pay a combined $651 million to two counties.

It's still going. In October 2026, AP reported that CVS would pay $315 million to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit. The suit alleged that it unlawfully dispensed medically unnecessary opioid prescriptions. CVS said it strongly disagreed and that the deal admits no wrongdoing. The deal requires extra safeguards on controlled-substance prescriptions.

Then there's insurance. In March 2026 the DOJ said Aetna would pay $117.7 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations about inaccurate Medicare Advantage diagnosis codes. A former Aetna coding auditor had brought one of the claims. Aetna did not admit liability and said it disagrees with the DOJ's allegations.

Our score is a 3. CVS provides services people need, but the pattern of big settlements, with the company disputing the claims each time, keeps us from backing it with our money.