Billing changes are on their way to the Pulaski County Health Department. Terri Hansen of the Health Department said that they have signed up for VaxCare, a company who will be not only providing them with vaccines and other supplies, but will handle their insurance billing as well.
Hansen explained that although VaxCare will be billing insurance companies directly, it won’t affect their ability to provide service to everyone else as well.
“We would still be doing all the people on Medicaid, people who are uninsured, and people who are underinsured. They will still be able to come in as they do now, and VaxCare will come in and take care of the rest,” said Hansen. “But when people come here to make appointments they’re going to have to know if their health insurance covers it and bring their health insurance information with them.”
Currently, the health department is waiting for VaxCare to provide training for the employees, and until they receive that training, the health department will continue to provide service as it always has. The department has until March 1 to get their employees trained and ready to use VaxCare because of a deadline from the state. After that date, if VaxCare is not billing insurance companies directly, the health department will be unable to offer services to individuals covered by health insurance.
According to Hansen, if everything goes according to plan and the department is trained and ready to use VaxCare by March 1, the health department will be able to take care of everyone in need.
“So we’re hoping to still be able to do everybody that we do now and make it as easy as possible on everyone because our main concern is to get everyone vaccinated. It’s all about public health. We don’t need anyone’s whooping cough, we don’t need people not getting vaccines because it’s too difficult.”
The cost for flu vaccines is $8 per shot, and the health department bills Medicaid for those covered.
