Escalation: Mckee Launches Attack Ad Against Foulkes

Gov. Dan McKee put his first TV ad on the air Wednesday. It targets Helena Foulkes’ years at CVS and her seat on a 2015 Medicaid panel, saying she raised insulin prices through CVS’s pharmacy‑benefit arm, tied her to CVS’s Aetna deal the year Aetna dropped people from coverage and raised premiums, and backed $85.5 million in Medicaid cuts, while McKee capped insulin costs and expanded benefits. The spot does not mention opioids, a line of attack he has used before.

Foulkes’ team said the ad ties her to decisions outside her role or made after she left and noted McKee later embraced the panel’s principles in a 2022 letter. CVS said she was not CEO and did not run Caremark or Aetna; she led the retail division while Larry Merlo was CEO. The ad says Aetna dropped thousands from coverage, while separate campaign materials described the number as nearly a million.

The campaign booked more than $50,000 in TV time, including about $65,000 on local broadcast from Wednesday through Monday, alongside digital ads. Spots ran in newscasts and shows including 60 Minutes, PGA golf and CBS Sunday Morning.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources