CVS: No plan to relocate Aetna’s operations from Hartford

Jan. 12--WOONSOCKET, R.I. -- CVS Health says it plans to maintain Aetna's Connecticut headquarters after its acquisition of the insurance company goes through.

The future of Aetna's headquarters in Hartford had been in doubt since CVS announced a deal to buy the insurer for $69 billion last month. Previously Aetna had announced plans to move to New York City.

On Thursday, a day after New York City canceled an incentive package for Aetna, CVS officials met with Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin and reassured him about the insurer's future there, CVS spokesman Michael DeAngelis said.

"While CVS Health will continue to be headquartered in Rhode Island, we also operate a number of large corporate hubs, or centers of excellence, in other states, including Arizona, Illinois and Texas," DeAngelis wrote in an updated statement released Friday. "We have no plans to relocate Aetna's operations from Hartford and, in fact, view Hartford as the future location of our center of excellence for the insurance business."

The decision to maintain Aetna's Connecticut footprint will likely be viewed as a disappointment in CVS's home state of Rhode Island, where the possibility had been floated of Aetna moving some workers here had been floated.

On Thursday the Rhode Island Commerce Corpoation had this to say about whether it was working to court the Aetna headquarters:

"While we don't comment on our potential business attraction and recruitment efforts -- have you ever seen this Administration not take an opportunity to bring more jobs home to Rhode Island?"

___

(c)2018 The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.)

Visit The Providence Journal (Providence, R.I.) at www.projo.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.