Posted on 10/18/2010 8:13:33 AM PDT by jackspyder
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new study hints that higher Medicaid reimbursement rates could help get more poor kids vaccinated against the flu.
Although the vaccine itself is provided free of charge to children covered by Medicaid, doctors are only reimbursed for about half the cost of administering it, researchers say.
"Family pediatricians feel they are losing money by giving shots," said Dr. Byung-Kwang Yoo, of the University of Rochester in New York, who led the new research.
"Just giving vaccines free to providers is not enough, so expanding coverage might be a good idea," he added, stressing that he is not a pediatrician and that his study was funded by the government.
Yoo and colleagues tapped into data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Immunization Survey.
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On average, administrative costs (overhead, nurses' time, etc.) are about $20 per shot, while Medicaid coverage is only $9. If all poor kids were to be vaccinated, Yoo found in a study last year, doctors could lose some $200 million.
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(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
boo fricking hoo
flu shots have been “free” in our elementary school for the past 5 years - for all kids
they are “free” in the grocery store pharmacies and at the local helath department if you claim to not be able to pay the suggested “$19.95 donation”
and every poor community here has its own “health center” with “free” everything basic
No they are NOT FREE. The taxpayers are paying. Plus boo hoo you. You have no idea how much nurse time in paper work and staff time checking patients in for a flu shot take up(there is mandated paper work). In my State I have to buy the flu vaccine myself. Medicaid just barely pays the cost of that. Boo Hoooooo. Go sit down at the Health Dept and pay 15.00 then. You might wait a while in that crowded dirty room however.
when a word like “free” is in quotes, it is taken as sarcasm by the regulars
feel free to inquire about other etiquette norms before posting a hugh and series negative response
have a great day and hopefully your state is not taxing you as much as mine, to pay for “free” flu vaccinations for almost 30% of the population and ALL of the public elementary schools
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