Aetna is the health insurance business of CVS Health, which also owns the CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit manager, about 9,000 CVS pharmacies and the Oak Street Health clinics. Aetna had 26.1 million medical members at the end of September 2026, and CVS Health reported a record $402.1 billion in revenue for 2025 company results.
On November 4, 2026, CVS Health announced plans to split into two public companies by the first half of 2028. Aetna will stay with CVS Caremark and the clinics in a company that keeps the CVS Health name; the retail pharmacies will become a separate company. Our report on the CVS Health split explains the plan.
Updated November 2026. This profile draws on company filings, federal data and Health Plan News analysis. It is independent of Aetna; for questions about your coverage, call the number on your member ID card.
Aetna at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Parent company | CVS Health Corporation (NYSE: CVS) |
| Headquarters | Woonsocket, Rhode Island |
| CEO | David Joyner |
| Insurance brands | Aetna, Aetna Better Health (Medicaid), SilverScript (Part D) |
| 2025 revenue | $402.1 billion (CVS Health) |
| Medical members | 26.1 million (September 30, 2026) |
| Medicare Advantage | 4.2 million members; 12% of national enrollment (KFF) |
| ACA Marketplace | Exited for 2026 |
| Medicaid | 15 states in 2025 |
| Pharmacy benefit manager | CVS Caremark |
Medicare Advantage
Aetna is the third-largest Medicare Advantage insurer, with 4.2 million members and 12% of the national market, according to KFF. It leads Medicare Advantage in Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the AMA’s state data. For 2027, more than 69% of its Medicare Advantage members are in plans rated 4 stars or higher, the company said (source), and it will offer plans in 41 states and D.C.
Aetna also had one of the highest prior authorization denial rates in a 2026 federal audit. The HHS Office of Inspector General found Aetna denied 79.6% of requests for long-term care hospital stays in June 2024; see our Prior Authorization Report Card.
Employer Coverage and the ACA Exit
Employer plans make up most of Aetna’s membership: 15.8 million people in self-funded plans and 2.6 million in insured group plans. Aetna left the ACA individual exchanges entirely for 2026, affecting about 1 million members in 17 states, after its CEO said the business had no path to acceptable margins (source).
Medicaid
Aetna Better Health ran Medicaid and CHIP plans in 15 states in 2025. Louisiana declined to extend its contract for 2026, along with UnitedHealthcare’s, amid litigation over pharmacy pricing (source).
Aetna by the Numbers: Health Plan News Data
- Commercial (employer and individual) market: largest insurer in 0 states and second-largest in 9, based on 2024 AMA data.
- Aca exchange market: largest insurer in 1 state (Arizona) and second-largest in 3, based on 2024 AMA data.
- Medicare advantage market: largest insurer in 3 states (Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania) and second-largest in 8, based on 2024 AMA data.
Compare insurers in every state on our health insurance market share by state page and our claim denial rates by insurer report.
Recent Aetna News
- Planned split: CVS Health plans to separate into a health care company (Aetna, CVS Caremark, Oak Street Health) and a retail pharmacy company by the first half of 2028. (source)
- FTC settlement: CVS Caremark settled the FTC’s insulin pricing case in 2026, agreeing to limits on compensation tied to drug list prices. (source)
- Margin recovery: Aetna’s third-quarter 2026 medical benefit ratio improved to 91.3% from 92.8%, and CVS raised its 2026 adjusted earnings guidance to at least $8.20 a share. (source)
How To Contact Aetna
| Purpose | Contact |
|---|---|
| General and prospective members | 1-800-872-3862, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET |
| Current members | Member Services number on your ID card |
| Websites | aetna.com; aetnabetterhealth.com (Medicaid) |
For profiles of other carriers, see our List of Health Insurance Companies and follow our Health Insurance Companies hub.
Sources
Aetna / CVS Health sites; Aetna 2027 Medicare Advantage plans release; Aetna Medicare Contact Member Services; Aetna Member Services FAQs; Becker’s Payer Issues; Becker’s Payer Issues, How insurers’ ACA footprints are changing in 2027; Becker’s Payer Issues, Medicare Advantage insurers ranked by county entries, exits in 2027; CVS Health 2025 Form 10-K; CVS Health 2025 Form 10-K; Aetna 2027 Medicare plans release; CVS Health 2025 Form 10-K; CVS Q3 2026 10-Q; American Medical Association, Competition in Health Insurance (2025 update); KFF, Medicare Advantage in 2026; CMS Transparency in Coverage public use file (2024, via KFF).