The MN-AAP Immunization Task Force, chaired by Dr. Robert Jacobson, is is committed to increasing infant, child and teen immunization rates and decreasing obstacles for clinics to provide CDC recommended vaccines and reimbursement.
Other members include Drs. Dawn Martin, David Estrin, Sylvia Sundberg, Crystal Shen, Andrew Kopperud, and Steven Haasken.
Over the past few months, the taskforce has focused on:
Surveying states with a universal vaccine purchase program, updating health plans on findings, identifying pediatric practices not participating in the Minnesota Vaccines for Children Program (MnVFC) and Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC)
Participating in a statewide immunization conference and working with health system purchasing staff to compare federal vaccine purchase prices to what system/private clinics pay
Working with a U of M School of Public Health student (Steven Haasken, MD) who is helping to advance the efforts of the taskforce
Recent News
Dr. Abe Jacob, a local pediatrician, weighs in on the CDC's new recommendation that boys receive the HPV vaccine starting at age 11. WCCO News story (10/25/11)
The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) has increased reimbursement for vaccine administration and clarified billing codes. Several examples of coding changes for pediatric clinics are described in the latest provider update. See the new provider rates/codes
• Federal vaccine purchase prices are generally at least 20% cheaper than what large private clinics currently pay. You can compare your clinic’s purchase price to the federal rates at: www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/cdc-vac-price-list.htm
• A universal vaccine purchase program would pool dollars from state vaccine purchase programs (MnVFC, Medicaid) with dollars paid for vaccines to clinics by health plans/insurance companies for their covered children. This pool of vaccine dollars would be used by either a state agency or new non-profit (it has been done both ways by different states) to purchase all of the vaccines for all children in the state. It would eliminate the need for separate refrigeration systems/documentation systems in each clinic. Clinics would not bill payers for vaccine, but only for the vaccine administration charge.
• A vaccine purchase program would offer large health system discounts for vaccines to smaller clinics that participate through an affiliated purchasing agreement. The smaller clinics may save 10-15% on vaccine costs by partnering with larger clinic systems. Clinics would still need to pay for their vaccine and would still bill payers for vaccines and for vaccine administration.
• Comments from some clinics indicate that they are concerned about the increasing costs of vaccines, the difficulties their families have in affording health care when they have high co-pays, and the inequities in vaccine costs among clinics.
• Pediatricians remain concerned about the very low vaccine administration reimbursement for children covered by Medicaid and see this as a priority to be addressed. The recent AAP report proposes to add the administration charge to the VFC program and be funded by the federal government. The new federal health reform legislation will increase Medicaid payment rates to the Medicare levels -nearly double the vaccine administration payment- in 2013.
Email cairns@mnaap.org for more information about how to get involved in the taskforce's efforts.
The MN-AAP Immunization Task Force, chaired by Dr. Robert Jacobson, is is committed to increasing infant, child and teen immunization rates and decreasing obstacles for clinics to provide CDC recommended vaccines and reimbursement.