CVS Health thumped second-quarter expectations and hiked its full-year forecast as growing prescription claims and COVID-19 test kits sales countered a drop in vaccinations.

A longer cough, cold and flu season also brought in more business, and claims in CVS Health's biggest segment, pharmacy benefits management, rose about 4%. Pharmacy sales at the company's established drugstores also climbed more than 7%.

2. After another strong quarter, CVS raises outlook for 2022 - Friday, April 29, 2022

COVID-19 vaccines and tests for the virus continue to boost CVS Health and the health care giant raised its annual forecast after yet another strong quarter.

The drugstore chain and pharmacy benefit manager also processed more prescriptions and added customers to its health insurance business in a better-than-expected performance.

3. Walmart to end cigarette sales in some stores - Friday, March 25, 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart will no longer sell cigarettes in some of its stores though tobacco sales can be a significant revenue generator.

Wall Street Journal was the first to report the development Monday. It noted some stores in California, Florida, Arkansas and New Mexico were on the list, citing anonymous sources and store visits.

4. 3 million plaintiffs seek $1.2B from California health firm - Friday, February 11, 2022

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A lawsuit over high health care bills filed on behalf of more than 3 million employers and people seeks as much as $1.2 billion from a large Northern California health systems in an antitrust class-action trial getting underway Thursday.

5. COVID-19 vaccines, prescriptions fuel strong quarter at CVS - Friday, February 4, 2022

COVID-19 vaccines and the return of customers to stores helped push CVS Health well past fourth-quarter earnings expectations.

But the pandemic's unpredictability is making the drugstore chain and pharmacy benefit manager cautious. It did not raise a 2022 forecast it laid out in December, and its shares slid on Wednesday.

6. Report: Corporate climate pledges are weaker than they seem - Friday, February 4, 2022

NEW YORK (AP) — Many of the world's largest companies are failing to take significant enough steps to meet their pledges to vastly reduce the impact of their greenhouse gas emissions in the decades ahead.

7. CVS Health to close hundreds of drugstores over next 3 years - Friday, November 19, 2021

CVS Health will close hundreds of drugstores over the next three years, as the health care giant adjusts to changing customer needs and converts to new store formats.

The company said Thursday that it will close about 300 stores a year for the next three years, nearly a tenth of its roughly 10,000 retail locations as it reduces store count density in some places.

8. Insurance telemarketers fined $225M for a billion robocalls - Friday, June 5, 2020

The U.S. communications regulator on Tuesday proposed a $225 million fine, its largest ever, against two health insurance telemarketers for spamming people with 1 billion robocalls using fake phone numbers.

9. Yarbrough honored by Nashville Bar Association - Friday, April 24, 2020

Edward M. Yarbrough, a member and attorney at Bone McAllester Norton, has been awarded the Nashville Bar Foundation’s David Rutherford Award for 2020.

The award is given to a fellow who exemplifies the memory and ideals of David Rutherford, which include professionalism, charitable contributions in the legal field and in the community, and the spirit of collegiality among bench and bar.

10. Stocks recover after economic worries set off an early skid - Friday, August 2, 2019

U.S. stocks turned higher Wednesday afternoon as investors shook off early jitters that had briefly pulled the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 580 points.

Technology and consumer staples stocks powered much of the gains, offsetting losses in banks, energy and elsewhere.

11. At stores and online, health care moves closer to customers - Friday, May 31, 2019

Health care is moving closer to patients.

Drugstores are expanding the care and support they offer, and telemedicine is bringing doctors and therapists to the family room couch as the system shifts to help people stay healthy and attract customers who want convenience.

12. CVS announces further expansion into health care services - Friday, May 31, 2019

CVS Health is pushing deeper into health services with plans to add dietitians, medical equipment and space for the occasional yoga class to 1,500 stores over the next few years.

The drugstore chain that quit selling tobacco several years ago said Tuesday it will expand a store model it recently tested. Its HealthHub stores will have about twice as much space devoted to health care as other locations and will aim to help people with chronic conditions like diabetes.

13. CVS moves into dental care with teeth-straightening service - Friday, April 26, 2019

CVS Health is venturing into dental care with plans to offer a relatively new teeth-straightening service.

The drugstore chain said Thursday that it will add SmileDirectClub locations to hundreds of its stores, where customers can get started on getting their teeth straightened without an in-person visit with a dentist or orthodontist. That lack of an office visit has drawn criticism from orthodontists.

14. CVS spreads same-day prescription deliveries to 36 states - Friday, April 5, 2019

CVS Health is expanding same-day prescription deliveries nationwide in the latest push by drugstores to keep customers who don't want to wait and are doing more shopping online.

The drugstore chain says it can deliver medications and other products within a few hours to homes or offices from 6,000 locations. The company started this service, which comes with a fee, in late 2017 in New York and expanded it to several cities last year.

15. Can your employer really cure your money woes? - Friday, March 15, 2019

Millions of Americans get their health insurance and retirement accounts through their employers. Now some are getting help with their debt.

Companies including insurer Aetna and accounting firm PwC help employees pay down student loans. Others partner with startups to offer debt solutions as an employee benefit. Among the approaches:

16. US stocks cap day of listless trading with modest gains - Friday, February 15, 2019

Wall Street capped another day of listless trading Wednesday with a slight gain, extending the market's winning streak to a third day.

Financial, materials and industrial companies accounted for much of the gain, outweighing losses in health care and real estate stocks as investors reviewed the latest batch of company earnings reports.

17. Trouble at CVS Health long-term care business weighs heavily - Friday, February 15, 2019

CVS Health is setting 2019 earnings expectations well below Wall Street forecasts, as the company struggles to fix part of its business while blending in a major acquisition and attempting to change how customers use its stores.

18. Group backing private Medicare is funded by insurance giants - Friday, December 21, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group gaining influence in Washington as a champion for Medicare beneficiaries is bankrolled by major health insurance companies that are trying to cash in on private coverage offered through the federal health insurance program.

19. US stocks rise again; tech and high-dividend companies climb - Friday, December 7, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are mixed in morning trading Thursday as technology and health care companies rise. Safer, high-dividend stocks in real estate and utilities are also climbing. Banks are falling, and smaller companies continue to lag their larger rivals.

20. DOJ approves $69B CVS Health-Aetna merger, with conditions - Friday, October 5, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — The proposed $69 billion merger between CVS Health and Aetna is getting a greenlight from the Department of Justice, with some conditions.

The Justice Department on Wednesday approved the deal on the condition that Aetna moves ahead with its plan to sell its Medicare Part D prescription drug plan business, resolving some anti-monopoly issues.

21. Stocks slip after Fed says interest rates will rise faster - Friday, June 8, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks slipped Wednesday after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates and said it expects to increase rates two more times by the end of the year. Investors bet that several huge deals are more likely to happen after a federal court cleared AT&T's $85 billion purchase of Time Warner.

22. Health insurer Aetna swings to a first-quarter profit. - Friday, April 27, 2018

Aetna made $1.21 billion and beat Wall Street earnings expectations in the first quarter, as the health insurer moved closer to sealing its roughly $69 billion combination with CVS Health.

The nation's third largest insurer said Tuesday that it swung to a profit after booking a loss in the first three months of 2017 due to costs from another deal, its failed bid to acquire rival Humana. Several months after regulators rejected that combination, CVS Health said it would buy Aetna.

23. CVS Health eyes kidney patients for next expansion into care - Friday, March 30, 2018

WOONSOCKET, R.I. (AP) — CVS Health is now planning to treat kidney failure patients, as the national drugstore chain continues to branch deeper into monitoring and providing care.

The company said Wednesday it will offer home dialysis for patients through its Coram business, and it is working with another unspecified company to develop a new device for that. A CVS spokeswoman declined to name the company or disclose how much CVS is spending on the venture.

24. Walmart reportedly eyes deal with insurer Humana - Friday, March 30, 2018

Walmart may be looking to dive deeper into the rapidly evolving health care market by acquiring the insurer Humana, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper said that the retail giant is in early talks with Humana, a major provider of Medicare Advantage coverage for people age 65 and older. Citing anonymous sources, the Journal said late Thursday that the companies are discussing a number of options, including an acquisition.

25. Health insurer Cigna buying Express Scripts for $52 billion - Friday, March 9, 2018

Health insurer Cigna is buying the nation's biggest pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, the latest in a string of proposed tie-ups as health care's bill payers attempt to get a grip on rising costs.

26. Cigna to spend about $52 billion for Express Scripts - Friday, March 2, 2018

The insurer Cigna will spend about $52 billion to acquire the nation's biggest pharmacy benefit manager, Express Scripts, the latest in a string of proposed tie-ups as health care's bill payers attempt to get a grip on rising costs.

27. US stocks edge higher; Express Scripts jumps on deal news - Friday, March 2, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rising Thursday morning as they continue a recovery that started late the previous day. Technology companies and retailers are making some of the biggest gains. Industrial companies are rising after the White House said President Donald Trump will announce tariffs on steel and aluminum imports that give exemptions to Canada and Mexico. Pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts jumped after health insurer Cigna agreed to buy it.

28. Business titans face complex system in US health care push - Friday, January 26, 2018

The leaders of Amazon.com, Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan announced the ambitious goal of improving health care coverage all of their employees. They say they are forming a new company that will be "free from profit-making incentives and constraints" and hint its results might be applied on a broader scale. But the campaign is in its early planning stages.

29. How Congress used the shutdown deal to cut more taxes - Friday, January 19, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The deal that ended the government shutdown also further cut taxes, adding billions more to the national deficit.

The tax cuts were a little noticed element of the much discussed deal, which provided funding to keep government agencies operating for about three weeks and renewed a popular health insurance program for poor children. They were added to entice Republicans to line up behind the temporary spending bill, even before the Democrats dug in and forced the three-day shutdown.

30. UnitedHealth ventures deeper into care with nearly $5B deal - Friday, December 1, 2017

The nation's biggest health insurer is spending nearly $5 billion to buy hundreds of clinics, just three days after rival Aetna announced a bigger tie up with CVS Health Corp.

UnitedHealth Group Inc. said Wednesday that it will buy DaVita Medical Group in a deal that extends the reach of its Optum health care services business to several more states.

31. Beyond Rx? CVS Health-Aetna deal may mean more services - Friday, December 1, 2017

CVS Health wants to do much more than fill your prescription or jab your arm with an annual flu shot.

The second-largest U.S. drugstore chain is buying Aetna, the third-largest health insurer, in order to push much deeper into customer care. The evolution won't happen overnight, but in time, shoppers may find more clinics in CVS stores and more services they can receive through the network of nearly 10,000 locations that the company has built.

32. Corporate deal-making driven by fast technological change - Friday, October 27, 2017

LONDON (AP) — The appetite for mergers and acquisitions remains near a record high as firms try to adapt to fast technological changes and despite a welter of geopolitical concerns, a survey of executives found Monday.

33. Insurer Aetna unloads group life, disability for $1.45B - Friday, October 20, 2017

Aetna, the nation's third-largest health insurer, is selling its domestic group life and disability businesses for $1.45 billion to Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Co.

34. US stocks skid as GE tumbles and technology companies fall - Friday, October 20, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) — Industrial and technology companies and retailers all stumbled Monday as U.S. stocks began the week with losses. General Electric suffered its worst one-day loss in six years following downgrades from analysts.

35. Single-payer cuts the middle men but at what cost? - Friday, September 1, 2017

Republicans made “Repeal and Replace” a catchy slogan for the right, but Democrats have one of their own.

Get ready to hear a lot of “Medicare for All,” the new rallying cry of those who think it’s time the United States adopts a single-payer health care system – or something like it.

36. Suit: Aetna violated law with envelope revealing HIV status - Friday, August 25, 2017

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Pennsylvania man is suing health insurer Aetna, saying his sister learned he was taking HIV medication after the company mailed him an envelope with a large, clear window that showed information on where to purchase the drugs.

37. Stocks start lower as tech companies and banks slip - Friday, July 28, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are edging lower in early trading Thursday as banks, technology and health companies fall. Prescription drug distributor AmerisourceBergen and women's health diagnostic company Hologic tumbled, while a solid quarter from cereal maker Kellogg helped makers of food and household goods move higher.

38. Key ACA insurer urges gov't to keep customer subsidies - Friday, July 21, 2017

One of the biggest insurers in the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces is warning the federal government that it must preserve cost-sharing payments for low-income customers to avoid hurting millions of people.

39. Key insurer Centene plans to expand health exchange presence - Friday, June 9, 2017

Health insurer Centene announced plans Tuesday to expand into more Affordable Care Act insurance exchanges for next year, at a time when competitors are either pulling back from those markets or proposing steep price hikes to remain.

40. Insurers continue to hike prices, abandon ACA markets - Friday, May 26, 2017

People shopping for insurance through the Affordable Care Act in yet more regions could face higher prices and fewer choices next year as insurance companies lay out their early plans for 2018.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is asking regulators for a 23 percent price hike next year because it doesn't expect crucial payments from the federal government to continue. That announcement comes a day after Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City said it will leave the individual insurance market next year, a decision that affects about 67,000 people in a 32-county area in Kansas and Missouri.

41. Anthem gives up Cigna bid, vows to fight on over damages - Friday, May 12, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Anthem has ended its soured, $48 billion bid to buy rival Cigna, but the nation's second-largest health insurer isn't giving up a fight over whether Cigna deserves a termination fee for the scrapped deal.

42. More price hikes likely for government insurance markets - Friday, May 12, 2017

Early moves by insurers suggest that another round of price hikes and limited choices will greet insurance shoppers around the country when they start searching for next year's coverage on the public markets established by the Affordable Care Act.

43. ACA exchanges grow thinner with Aetna leaving for 2018 - Friday, May 5, 2017

While Republicans rewrite the Affordable Care Act in Washington, the immediate future of the law has grown hazier with the nation's third-largest health insurer saying that it will completely divorce itself from state-based insurance exchanges.

44. Anthem asks Supreme Court to review blocked Cigna deal - Friday, May 5, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Health insurer Anthem is not ready to give up its $48-billlion bid for rival Cigna and now hopes to find a favorable audience in the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Blue Cross-Blue Shield insurer is asking the court to review last week's rejection by a federal appeals court.

45. Appeals court upholds decision to block Anthem bid for Cigna - Friday, April 28, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court on Friday left in place a decision blocking Anthem Inc.'s bid to buy rival health insurer Cigna Corp, saying that a bigger company is not better for consumers.

46. Insurer Anthem hands feds deadline on crucial ACA subsidies - Friday, April 21, 2017

Health insurers are pressing President Donald Trump and Congress to guarantee a crucial customer subsidy for the Affordable Care Act's shaky insurance exchanges, and one of the biggest carriers has thrown in its participation as bargaining chip.

47. US stocks fall as weak auto sales trouble investors - Friday, March 31, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks started the second quarter with a thud Monday after car makers reported disappointing March sales, a possible warning about other types of spending. But a late recovery helped stocks avoid bigger losses.

48. Some parts of Obamacare working well, problems with others - Friday, March 24, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — Once again, "Obamacare" has survived a near-death experience. It won't be the end of the political debate, but House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledges, "We're going to be living with 'Obamacare' for the foreseeable future."

49. Health insurer Aetna to spend $3.3B buying back stock - Friday, February 17, 2017

Aetna will spend $3.3 billion to buy back more than 20 million shares of its stock after the health insurer's board authorized more repurchases last week.

The nation's third largest insurer said Wednesday that it entered into accelerated buyback agreements with two dealers for about 10.4 million shares from each. Aetna will pay each dealer $1.65 billion and is using available cash to fund the deals.

50. Aetna fattens shareholder payout after Humana deal fails - Friday, February 17, 2017

Aetna is doubling the quarterly dividend it pays shareholders and buying back stock as it regroups from its failed attempt to acquire rival health insurer Humana.

Aetna Inc. said Friday its board declared a quarterly cash dividend of 50 cents per share and also authorized the repurchase of up to an additional $4 billion worth of the company's stock.

51. Insurer Anthem fires back at Cigna - Friday, February 10, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Health insurers Anthem and Cigna are now trading lawsuits instead of working together to salvage a shaky $48-billion buyout agreement.

The Blue Cross-Blue Shield carrier Anthem said Wednesday that it is seeking a restraining order to block its smaller rival from terminating their deal, which has already been blocked by a federal judge.

52. Aetna, Humana call off $34 billion deal - Friday, February 10, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Major health insurers Aetna and Humana called off their $34 billion combination after a federal judge, citing concerns about prices and benefits, rejected the deal.

The announcement Tuesday comes several days after another federal judge shot down a tie-up between two other massive insurers. Blue Cross-Blue Shield carrier Anthem Inc. is attempting to buy Cigna Corp. for $48 billion. Anthem is appealing that decision.

53. Federal judge rejects Aetna's purchase of Humana - Friday, January 20, 2017

A federal judge has rejected health insurer Aetna's bid to buy rival Humana on grounds that the deal would hurt competition in hundreds of Medicare Advantage markets, ultimately affecting the price consumers pay for coverage.

54. US stock indexes close slightly lower; oil prices slide - Friday, January 20, 2017

Energy companies led U.S. stock indexes slightly lower Monday as the price of crude oil fell.