GiftCard Partners Blog

This year marks the 10th anniversary of CVS's decision to stop selling tobacco products, a bold move that transformed the company's role in public health. When CVS first made the decision in 2014 to remove tobacco from its 7,800 stores, the move was seen as controversial by some but groundbreaking by others. Since then, CVS has evolved from a retail pharmacy chain to a healthcare leader, and its commitment to public health has been underscored by significant research and industry recognition.

Healthcare has once again become the top domestic concern for Americans, with 61% saying they worry “a great deal” about access and affordability, according to a new Gallup report.

Health screenings are lifesaving techniques that are designed to find certain chronic diseases before a person begins to exhibit any signs of illness. In the U.S. alone, early detection health screenings save over 100,000 lives per year. The majority of healthcare providers also cover these screenings at no additional costs to members when in-network options are applied. In recent years, employer wellness programs have focused on obtaining a baseline biometric screening on employees. Employers use these baseline biometrics and then, once a member is engaged in applying and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, employers can use additional health screenings as a way to properly incentivize their employees. Our newest white paper, Rewards for Action: Building a Healthier Workforce through Early Detection, provides 10 critical preventative health screenings that can save lives.

Employee wellness programs have come a long way since the days of offering free fruit in the breakroom. Today, they’re a strategic priority—not just for corporate America, but for leading academic institutions like Stanford, Cornell, Oklahoma State, and the University of Alabama.