Vaccinations & Immunizations

How Do Payers Cover COVID-19 Vaccines, Treatments, and Tests Post-PHE?

February 7, 2024 - After the public health emergency (PHE) ended, many federal regulations that facilitated access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests expired. While some policies may still apply, coverage differs for people with Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), private coverage, and no insurance, a KFF brief...

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How to Increase Access to Prenatal Vaccines for Medicaid Beneficiaries

by Victoria Bailey

Solidifying access to prenatal vaccines can help minimize maternal health disparities for pregnant people enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). A white paper...

Public-Private Program Boosts Uninsured Access to COVID-19 Vaccines

by Kelsey Waddill

In an effort to maintain access to coronavirus vaccines for uninsured Americans, HHS has introduced a public-private partnership with pharmaceutical companies. The partnership, known as the “HHS...

UHG Report Highlights Mental Healthcare Needs Among Seniors

by Kelsey Waddill

Over the last decade, seniors have experienced rising rates of mental healthcare needs, drug-related deaths, and early mortality, the UnitedHealth Foundation’s 2022 Senior Report...

30% of Seniors Still Experience Impacts of Foregone, Delayed Care

by Kelsey Waddill

Senior members might continue to see canceled or delayed care even as coronavirus cases decline, a trend which has had significant impacts on payer revenues and spending in 2020 and 2021, a report from...

Hospitalization of Unvaccinated COVID-19 Patients Cost $13B

by Kelsey Waddill

Going without a coronavirus vaccine can have an impact on healthcare spending in the US, a Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker report on unvaccinated COVID-19 patients found. Based...

Medicaid Will Cover Coronavirus Vaccine Counseling for Kids

by Kelsey Waddill

State Medicaid programs must cover coronavirus vaccine counseling for children as well as vaccine counseling for all pediatric vaccines for eligible beneficiaries, CMS announced. “By supporting...

CVS Health to Offer Coverage for Moderna COVID-19 Booster Shot

by Victoria Bailey

CVS Health has announced that it will offer Moderna COVID-19 booster shots to eligible individuals at more than 9,800 pharmacy locations. The CDC, following guidance from the Advisory Committee on...

Top Payer Strategies for Overcoming Coronavirus Vaccine Hesitancy

by Kelsey Waddill

As payers continue to search for answers to overcoming coronavirus vaccine hesitancy, safety net health plans in the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) have consolidated their most...

CMS Guidance Promotes COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage, Medicaid Expansion

by Victoria Bailey

The Biden Administration and CMS have released guidelines that detail federal funding information relating to Medicaid expansion and COVID-19 testing and vaccine administration for Medicaid and...

Private Payers Renew Cost-Sharing For COVID-19 Hospitalizations

by Victoria Bailey

Now that vaccines are readily available to all American adults, private payers have stopped waiving cost-sharing for COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to a Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)...

Medicare Covers COVID-19 Booster for Immunocompromised Americans

by Kelsey Waddill

CMS has announced that immunocompromised individuals will receive the coronavirus booster shot without cost-sharing. On August 12, 2021, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended a booster...

How State Support for Medicaid HCBS Impacts COVID-19 Vaccination

by Kelsey Waddill

States have an opportunity to use the increased federal matching for Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) to accelerate coronavirus vaccination uptake, a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)...

Centene Promotes Employee COVID-19 Vaccination, Remote Work

by Kelsey Waddill

In light of the Delta variant of COVID-19, Centene Corporation has taken steps to increase Centene employee coronavirus vaccination, boost education, and prepare for an increase in coronavirus...

SCAN Health Plan Reports Decline in COVID-19 Vaccine Disparities

by Kelsey Waddill

SCAN Health Plan has announced a significant decrease in coronavirus vaccine disparities. “SCAN is committed to eliminating the troubling disparities in the health care system that...

Medicare Survey Explores COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Among Seniors

by Kelsey Waddill

CMS has released preliminary data on Medicare beneficiary experiences during the coronavirus pandemic including coronavirus vaccine uptake. The agency conducted the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey...

Payer COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Program Vaccinates 2M Seniors

by Victoria Bailey

AHIP and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) have helped over two million seniors receive the COVID-19 vaccine through their vaccine outreach program. The Vaccine Community Connectors (VCC)...

How Employers Can Influence Employee Coronavirus Vaccine Uptake

by Kelsey Waddill

Employers play a key role in increasing coronavirus vaccine uptake, but not necessarily by requiring workers to receive the vaccine, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) report...

Centene Launches PSA Initiative to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Rates

by Victoria Bailey

Centene Corporation has launched a new initiative to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates among health plan members as well as all Americans. One half of the initiative will include a call campaign to...

Payers Address COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake With Member Engagement

by Hannah Nelson

Health insurance providers are taking a variety of approaches to encourage equitable COVID-19 vaccine uptake, such as forming community partnerships, using targeted outreach for member engagement,...

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