Blue Review
A Provider Publication

August 2021

Proactively Schedule Wellness and Immunization Visits

By: Dr. Derek J. Robinson, M.D., MBA, FACEP, CHCQM, Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)

For 2020-2021, public sector vaccine ordering data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed a 14% drop overall compared to 2019, with a decrease of more than 20% in measles vaccinations.1 The CDC designates August as National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) and, this year, ramping up vaccine education efforts is critical.

On the heels of the COVID-19 public health emergency, BCBSIL’s Wellness Can’t Wait initiative is designed to shift the focus from reactive to proactive. But that doesn’t mean preventive care is any less urgent, especially at this time of year, with back-to-school, holiday activities and flu season fast approaching. It’s time to remind patients who canceled or delayed appointments due to COVID-19 to return for wellness exams and vaccinations, especially for infants and adolescents. We encourage providers to proactively reschedule patient appointments for wellness, screening and immunizations.  

Infants and Adolescents
Protecting infants ages 0 to 2 years old is vital for vaccine-preventable illnesses and ensuring older children can attend daycare or school. The CDC offers guidance for health care providers on a catch-up immunization schedule for persons age 4 months to 18 years who are more than one month behind.2

As part of the health care team, doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and nurses play a vital role in educating parents on the importance of getting all scheduled immunizations for their children. Below are a few tips you may choose to apply:

  • Call parents and remind them about their children’s upcoming immunizations.
  • Communicate with parents about the benefits of age-appropriate childhood immunizations.
  • Discuss office safety precautions during the pandemic.
  • To ease parents’ hesitation and anxiety to complete in-office visits, schedule well-child visits in the morning and sick visits in the afternoon and delineate well-child visits and sick visits to different areas of the clinic.3
  • Allow parents to express their concerns.

As we’ve discussed in previous communications, it’s important to recognize that some members may face barriers in getting to the doctor, such as lack of transportation or childcare, difficulty getting time off from work, health care coverage concerns and other issues. In addition to recommending vaccine locations that may be more convenient for the patient, remember that every visit is a wellness/vaccination opportunity. If patients come in for an acute problem, check their history and promote necessary vaccinations – also take the opportunity to ask about other family members.

COVID-19 Vaccination
Remind your patients that, per CDC guidelines, COVID-19 vaccination is available for everyone ages 12 years and older and can be given with other vaccines.4 Monitor the CDC’s U.S. COVID-19 Product Information page for updates and related materials, including a COVID-19 Vaccine Quick Reference Guide for Healthcare Professionals.

Flu Vaccination
Discuss with your patients the need for flu vaccination when the vaccine becomes available in September or October by scheduling a future appointment, or encouraging they get vaccinated at a pharmacy, health department or local flu clinic.

Adult Immunizations
In addition to flu and COVID-19 vaccination, discuss immunizations with adult patients who may need other vaccines, such as Tdap or pneumococcal vaccination, based on their age, career, lifestyle or travel habits.

Quick Reminders and Resources

  • Preventive care guidelines for immunization schedules are available on our Provider website. 
  • We also encourage you to refer to the NIAM section of the CDC website for tools and resources you can use year-round, like the #HowIRecommend Vaccination Video Series.
  • For many of our members, immunizations and vaccines are covered at no cost share. Always check member eligibility and benefits using the Availity® Provider Portal or your preferred web vendor before every scheduled appointment. Eligibility and benefit quotes include members’ coverage status and other important information, such as applicable copays, coinsurance and deductibles. 

We know the most trusted source of wellness and immunization information for many patients is typically their own doctor. Our Wellness Can’t Wait initiative sets the stage, but we’re relying on partnerships with providers to increase the reach to our member audience. How are you engaging your patients in conversations around vaccine necessity, safety and efficacy? What challenges are you facing in discussing the importance of other preventive care measures, like colorectal cancer screenings and mammograms? What additional steps are you taking to encourage patients to adopt healthy lifestyle changes to better manage existing conditions? What can BCBSIL do to help?

If you have thoughts you’d like to share, or topics you’d like us to explore in the Blue Review or other communications or educational outreach initiatives, please email us.

Learn more about Dr. Derek J. Robinson

1 https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/childhood-vaccination-toolkit.html

2 https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/catchup.html

3 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/pediatric-hcp.html  

4 https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/covid-19-vaccines-us.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fvaccines%2Fcovid-19%2Finfo-by-product%2Fclinical-considerations.html (Updated July 16, 2021)

The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medical judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Checking eligibility and benefits is not a guarantee of payment of benefits. Payment of benefits is subject to several factors, including, but not limited to, eligibility at the time of service, payment of premiums/contributions, amounts allowable for services, supporting medical documentation, and other terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions set forth in the member’s policy certificate and/or benefits booklet and or summary plan description. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider.

Availity is a trademark of Availity, LLC, a separate company that operates a health information network to provide electronic information exchange services to medical professionals. Availity provides administrative services to BCBSIL. BCBSIL makes no endorsement, representations or warranties regarding any products or services provided by third party vendors such as Availity.