CVS Health's proposed takeover of insurer Aetna is being pitched as a cost-effective antidote to the complex and at times frustrating American health care system, with pharmacies playing a broader role in patient care.

Architects of the $69 billion deal unveiled Sunday said CVS's nearly 10,000 stores could be remade to include wellness and medical testing areas, allowing customers easy access to medical professionals and treatment while containing costs.

The shift could encourage more preventive care and cut unnecessary emergency room visits, including by the almost 60 percent of the American population who do not have a regular doctor, executives said on a conference call with analysts.