Duke Health and Aetna Extend Partnership with New Multi-Year Agreement
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DURHAM, N.C., October 3, 2025 – Today, Duke Health and Aetna®, a CVS Health company, announced a new multi-year agreement that provides Aetna Commercial and Medicare Advantage members continued in-network access to high-quality, affordable care at Duke Health. This agreement includes all Duke Health locations and providers and reflects a shared commitment to putting patients and members first.
“Throughout this negotiation, we have remained committed to our nonprofit mission of serving the best interests of our patients and community,” said Thomas A. Owens, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Duke University Health System. “We came to the table together to reach an agreement that covers the cost of care. Our agreement with Aetna prioritizes efficiency, promotes high quality care and helps drive down health care costs."
“Duke Health is a valued partner in delivering high-quality, convenient care to Aetna members in North Carolina,” said Amelia Lee, Aetna Vice President of Network, Southeast Region. “We look forward to continuing to work together to meet the needs of our shared members and patients.”
With this new agreement, both organizations look forward to continuing their partnership to provide high-quality health care while exploring new, innovative opportunities that focus on population health, value-based care and other areas to benefit the health of members and patients in North Carolina.
“We came together to do what is best for patients and worked together to make this positive outcome possible,” said Owens. “Patients and families will continue to have access to the Duke Health doctors and care teams they know and trust.”
Patients who may have rescheduled or canceled any appointments are encouraged to call their provider’s office to resume care.
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About Duke Health
Duke Health encompasses the world-class academic health care and research of the Duke University Health System, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, Duke-NUS Medical School, Duke Global Health Institute, and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy.
The health system advances our clinical mission by delivering care across four hospitals (Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital and Duke Health Lake Norman Hospital) and numerous outpatient locations, including Duke Primary Care, Duke Health Integrated Practices, Duke HomeCare & Hospice and multiple affiliations.
Leading the education and research missions of Duke Health are the School of Medicine and its numerous departments, centers, and institutes; the School of Nursing; Duke-NUS Medical School; Duke Global Health Institute; and the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy.
Through the integration of its education, research, and clinical care missions, Duke Health is steadfast in its dedication to improving the lives of all who come to us for hope, health, and healing. We do so by elevating standards of care; conducting breakthrough research and discovery; teaching and training the next generation of providers; and strengthening global and community health.
About Aetna
Aetna, a CVS Health business, serves an estimated 36 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 providers, 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).