Not a CVS recruiter, but I placed candidates there a few times and have debriefed with their TA team. Here's what the CVS Health recruiter phone screen actually covers, since I see a lot of candidates go in underprepared.
First: the screen is 20-30 minutes. It is not a technical round. It's a fit and logistics filter. The recruiter wants to know: do you have the right background, are you interested in the actual role, and are your comp expectations in range.
What they ask: Walk me through your background (brief, not your life story) Why CVS Health specifically (they do ask, and "I want to work in healthcare" is weak if you can't back it up) What are you looking for in your next role / what's driving your search Availability / notice period Comp expectations (they ask early, be ready to give a range or at least confirm you've done research) Do you have experience with X technology (usually from the job posting, just confirming you actually have it)
What trips people up: Not knowing why CVS specifically. Do basic research: their MinuteClinic expansion, pharmacy digital initiative, HealthHUB stores, digital health investments. A sentence or two of genuine context goes a long way. Giving a comp number too low because you assume healthcare = government-adjacent pay. CVS's tech organization pays competitively for digital health. Look at levels.fyi or your network for recent data. Being vague about availability. They have real timelines and if you need 3 months notice they want to know upfront.
The recruiter is also a source of information. Ask about team size, what the tech stack actually looks like, who you'd be interviewing with. That's not being demanding, it's showing you're evaluating seriously.