By Amina Niasse

NEW YORK (Reuters) -CVS Health’s Aetna insurance arm will expand a nascent program pairing members in its privately run Medicare plans with nurses – an effort the company says will reduce hospital readmissions, which are costly and can be detrimental to patient health.

For patients on the Medicare Advantage plans for people 65 and older, the program might assign Aetna-employed nurses to those who are released from hospitals or transitioning into a nursing facility or who have disabilities to navigate additional needs. Services provided range from coordinating in-home care to ensuring transportation to follow-up appointments.

“Our goal is to literally have a nurse at the bedside with that member, with that family, beginning to think through what their care journey should

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