Blue Cross And Blue Shield Companies Announce They Will Cover Administration Of H1N1 Vaccine
September 14, 2009
WASHINGTON – The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) today announced a Blue system-wide commitment to providing coverage for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine.
"The recent announcement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about H1N1 underscores the need to ensure as many people as possible are vaccinated. To that end, the nation's 39 independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are making a collective effort to enable their policyholders to receive the H1N1 vaccine," said Scott P. Serota, president and CEO of BCBSA. "Blue companies are in every ZIP code in America and it's critical that they facilitate vaccination and educate their members about how to protect themselves from H1N1."
Federal employees and retirees covered by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Government-wide Service Benefit Plan (Federal Employee Program or FEP®) will also receive benefits for the administration of the H1N1 vaccine in 2009 and in 2010.
The vaccine is expected to be available this fall and the CDC has recommended that certain groups of the population receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine first. Vaccination efforts will initially focus on five target groups including:
- Pregnant women
- People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
- Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
- Persons between the ages of 6 months through 24 years
- People ages 25 through 64 years who have chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
Additional information about the H1N1 vaccine and related materials can be found on the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov. For more information about what is covered under your specific benefits, please contact your local Blue Cross and Blue Shield company. A listing of companies can be found on the BCBSA Web site at www.bcbs.com. For more information about FEP benefits, visit www.fepblue.org.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 39 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide healthcare coverage for nearly 100 million members - one-in-three Americans. For more information on the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association and its member companies, please visit www.BCBS.com.
