Aetna provider survey reveals increased payer trust and tangible benefits of digital tools to improve patient outcomes
- Providers give a 6.1 payer trust score, up from 5.4 in the previous study
- Providers weigh in on the potential of technology-enabled solutions to reduce administrative burden and save valuable time
HARTFORD, CT, July 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Aetna®, a CVS Health® company (NYSE:CVS) today announced findings from the second Aetna Provider Survey. The Aetna Provider Survey is a quarterly study that polls the U.S. provider market to better understand their perceptions on payers and the industry, today and into the future. This survey series is intended to solicit timely, objective feedback from the U.S. provider market so we can identify opportunities to change the provider-payer dynamic and deepen trust over time.
The study revealed the average provider-payer trust score on a scale from 1-10 is now 6.1, up from 5.4 in the first quarter (Q1), with 38% of providers ranking payers 8 or higher. Providers are also recognizing that payers are making strides in several areas:
- 52% agree payers consistently deliver on their promises, an increase of 16 percentage points from Q1
- 56% agree payers provide clear coverage information, an increase of 12 percentage points from Q1
- 44% agree payers help patients navigate the health care system, an increase of 6 percentage points from Q1
"Trust is a foundational element of health care today. To truly transform the system, we need to continue to deepen the provider-payer relationship," said Steve Nelson, Executive Vice President and President of Aetna, "At Aetna, we've invested significant time and resources to listen to our provider partners and take actions accordingly. I'm encouraged to see that these efforts are being acknowledged and, while there is more work ahead, we are heading in the right direction today and into the future."
Reducing administrative burden to unlock more time for patient care
Providers continue to rank administrative burden as their top challenge, pointing overwhelmingly to managing patient records or prior authorization as the single biggest contributor — together, 84% of responses. They identified submitting prior authorization requests (58%), re-entering patient information (42%) and submitting claims (41%) as key pain points that can be unlocked by technology.
By rolling out technology enabled solutions, providers saw meaningful time savings for clinicians that can be redirected to patient care. More than 30% of respondents expect to save more than an hour and 80% expect to save more than 30 minutes daily.
Improving interoperability to help improve patient care
The majority (68%) of providers cited interoperability and data integrity as their top technology challenge, with almost a third (29%) stating that providing real time patient data is the most important action payers can take to help their clinical teams. In fact, almost half of respondents (47%) believe that having this data could save more than 10 minutes per appointment.
Providers cited other tangible benefits to their patients, with the top three answers including:
- More informed treatment decisions at the point of care (63%)
- Fewer claim denials and resubmissions (54%)
- Reduced patient wait times for treatment approvals (47%)
Leveraging digital tools to help members access care
Providers believe that new digital tools from payers – which include apps, portals and messaging tools – can make a significant improvement in patient navigation and engagement.
- 71% agree that payers' digital services help patients better understand benefits and care options
- 68% agree payers' digital services help patients better understand status of a prior authorization
- 72% agree that payers' digital services help patients understand their claims status
Over the next five years, 84% agree that advances in technology will lead to better health outcomes, and 72% expect both population health and the patient experience to improve.
Survey methodology and the Aetna Provider Survey
The national study was conducted in Q2 2026 by Morning Consult, a global decision intelligence company. The survey polled a representative sample of U.S. providers comprised of 723 participants, including hospital system executives, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and health IT leaders (CTO/CIOs) nationwide. The overall margin of error is ±4 percentage points.
The Aetna Provider Survey is a quarterly study that polls a representative sample of the U.S. provider market to better understand their perceptions, opportunities, and challenges today and into the future. This survey series is intended to solicit timely, objective feedback from the U.S. provider market so we can identify opportunities to change the provider-payer dynamic and deepen trust over time.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is a leading health solutions company simplifying health care one person, one family and one community at a time. As of March 31, 2026, the Company had approximately 9,000 retail pharmacy locations, more than 1,000 walk-in and primary care medical clinics and a leading pharmacy benefits manager with approximately 88 million plan members. The Company also serves an estimated more than 37 million people through a broad range of health insurance products and related services. The Company's integrated model uses personalized, technology driven services to connect people to simply better health, increasing access to quality care, delivering better outcomes, and lowering overall costs.
Media contact
Phil Blando
Phillip.Blando@cvshealth.com
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SOURCE CVS Health