VFC is administered at the national level by the CDC contracts with vaccine manufacturers to buy vaccines at reduced rates and helps families of children who may not otherwise have access to vaccines by providing free vaccines to doctors who serve them.
States and eligible projects enroll physicians who serve eligible patients up to and including age 18 years and who provide routine immunizations.
Children through 18 years of age who meet at least one of the following criteria are eligible to receive VFC vaccine:
- Medicaid eligible: A child who is eligible for the Medicaid program. (For the purposes of the VFC program, the terms "Medicaid-eligible" and "Medicaid-enrolled" are equivalent and refer to children who have health insurance covered by a state Medicaid program)
- Uninsured: A child who has no health insurance coverage
- American Indian or Alaska Native: As defined by the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)
- Underinsured: A child who has commercial (private) health insurance but the coverage does not include vaccines, a child whose insurance covers only selected vaccines (VFC-eligible for non-covered vaccines only), or a child whose insurance caps vaccine coverage at a certain amount. Once that coverage amount is reached, the child is categorized as underinsured. Underinsured children are eligible to receive VFC vaccine only through a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC).
Children whose health insurance covers the cost of vaccinations are not eligible for VFC vaccines, even when a claim for the cost of the vaccine and its administration would be denied for payment by the insurance carrier because the plan's deductible had not been met.
To locate a Federally Qualified Health Center in your area, contact your state's VFC Coordinator.
Access immunization schedules for children, adolescents and adults HERE.
Read my post about Free Dental Care For Children.
No comments:
Post a Comment