Loading...Loading...On-time vaccination throughout childhood provides immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases. Currently, childhood immunization rates for our health plan fall below the national average.
As a PCP, you are a trusted educator for parents and caregivers about the importance of:
- Routine checkups
- Following recommended vaccination schedules
- Scheduling office visits in advance to keep children on track
Several agencies provide recommended vaccine schedules with different types, frequencies, intervals and special situation considerations:
When parents express concerns about vaccine safety, these CDC resources can help:
These tips may assist you in talking to hesitant parents:
- Tailor your message.
- Counter misinformation.
- Ask why they're hesitant.
- Understand their concerns.
- Address fears about side effects.
- Prepare your staff to answer questions.
The CDC has observed disparities in childhood immunization rates among:
- Racial and ethnic minorities
- Children living in rural communities
- Low-income families
Addressing these disparities presents an opportunity to improve individual health outcomes and increase protection for our communities. Learn more at the Partnering for Vaccine Equity Resource Hub.
Routine vaccines are covered in full for all BCBS FEP® members when services are received from a preferred provider. The BCBS FEP website provides additional information on well-child visits, other health topics, and member eligibility and enrollment information.
Patients taking antipsychotic medications face significantly higher risks of serious metabolic complications, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Metabolic monitoring requires additional coordination between primary care and psychiatry—coordination that too often breaks down, leaving patients at risk. Our current Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) results indicate we're falling short of national benchmarks in clinically monitoring these vulnerable populations.
- Metabolic Monitoring for Children and Adolescents on Antipsychotics tracks whether young patients receive vital annual glucose and cholesterol testing that can prevent life-threatening complications.
- Diabetes Screening for People with Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder Who Are Using Antipsychotic Medications ensures annual testing for early detection of diabetes.
Diabetes Monitoring for People with Diabetes and Schizophrenia assesses annual glucose and cholesterol monitoring for patients facing the dual challenge of mental illness and diabetes.
Working closely with primary care and behavioral health providers through our Provider Advisory Council (PAC), we've identified the primary obstacle: Metabolic monitoring requires additional coordination between primary care and psychiatry—coordination that too often breaks down, leaving patients at risk.
PCPs: Be the safety net
- Medication reconciliation matters: Encourage patients to bring all medications to wellness visits. You may be the only provider with a comprehensive view of their health.
- Don't assume someone else is monitoring: When patients take antipsychotics, proactively order annual HbA1c and cholesterol tests.
Psychiatric providers: Lead the partnership
- Communicate before complications arise: When prescribing antipsychotics, establish clear agreements with PCPs about who orders tests, reviews results and manages follow-up care.
- Share the responsibility: Actively coordinate with PCPs to co-monitor and co-manage metabolic complications—your patients' lives may depend on this partnership.
- Adapt to telehealth realities: Develop reliable processes for lab ordering when practicing via telehealth.
Every missed lab test represents a missed opportunity to prevent serious, potentially life-threatening complications in patients who are already fighting significant health battles. By working together and implementing these evidence-based practices, we can ensure no patient falls through the cracks of our care system.
To prevent care delays that could result in poor outcomes, PCPs and psychiatric providers can share most behavioral health information for care coordination purposes without a release of information (ROI).
Exception: Federal substance use disorder (SUD) confidentiality regulations require patient consent. If needed, encourage patients to sign our Authorization to Disclose Protected Health Information form.
The CDC estimates there were at least 40 million flu illnesses, 18 million medical visits, 470,000 hospitalizations and 28,000 deaths from flu during the 2023-2024 flu season. Prevention is the best protection for the 2025-2026 flu season.
Everyone six months and older should get a flu vaccine every season with rare exceptions. Vaccination is particularly important for people who are at higher risk of serious complications from influenza.
- Educate support staff about the importance of the flu vaccine.
- Update your standing orders and protocols for the 2025-2026 flu season. If you don’t have standing orders and protocols for vaccines, now is a great time to create them and begin using them.
- Enable your patients to make informed decisions by making resources about the flu vaccine available.
- Add vaccines to your pre-visit workflow.
- Add the word “flu” to the appointment note during pre-visit planning for patients who are due for their vaccine. This will remind the care team that a patient needs their vaccine when they come in for their appointment.
- Host flu clinics or outreach campaigns to schedule patients for a vaccination appointment with a nurse or medical assistant.
Educational flyers about the importance of the flu vaccine are available in English and Spanish. You can use these to reinforce the conversation with your patient or make them available for review in the waiting room before an appointment. Look for the Influenza immunization category in our Quality Improvement Toolkit.
August marks National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM), which highlights the critical importance of routine vaccinations across all age groups. As a provider, your role in promoting immunization is invaluable to community health.
Your recommendation is one of the strongest influences in a patient's decision to vaccinate. By discussing the importance of vaccines, you help protect your patients against serious diseases including whooping cough, influenza, COVID-19, HPV, meningitis and shingles.
Many patients, particularly children, have fallen behind on routine vaccinations. We appreciate your ongoing efforts to ensure patients receive necessary immunizations and other preventive care services to maintain optimal health.
Most of our health plans cover preventive care services at 100%. View our preventive care lists:
- Commercial members (English and Spanish)
- Medicare members
- BCBS FEP® members
The National Vaccine Advisory Council has identified significant immunization rate disparities among underserved populations, including:
- Racial and ethnic minorities
- Rural communities
- People with disabilities
- LGBTQIA+ community members
Addressing these disparities presents an opportunity to improve individual health outcomes and strengthen community immunity. For additional information, visit the Partnering for Vaccine Equity Resource Hub.
- Healthwise Knowledgebase: Access patient education materials in English and Spanish through our Quality Improvement Toolkit. Search for:
- Immunizations
- Vaccinations
- Specific vaccines (e.g., coronavirus, hepatitis B)
- CDC resources: Visit the CDC's NIAM website for resources to support vaccination discussions with patients throughout the year.