Governor Mike DeWine has called on Medicaid managed care companies to continue efforts to increase vaccine uptake among Ohio Medicaid beneficiaries. Right now, the vaccine uptake among Medicaid beneficiaries is 22% as compared to a 45% uptake among Ohioans overall.
Gov. DeWine initially challenged managed care plans to implement new efforts earlier this month, and since then, new efforts include:
- Partnering with pharmacies and providing incentives, such as gift cards, to those on Medicaid who are vaccinated at a pharmacy.
- Incentivizing pharmacists to counsel those picking up prescriptions about vaccinations.
- Working with local health departments, community providers, and faith-based initiatives to help spread the word about vaccination events to those on Medicaid.
- Providing staff to help run vaccination events when needed and providing transportation to make sure people can get to and from the vaccination locations.
- Tailoring strategies to meet people where they are, such as identifying individuals who can’t leave their homes and working with providers to go to these locations to administer vaccinations.
- Working with providers to help them create vaccine opportunities outside of normal business hours.
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians will be meeting with the Ohio Department of Medicaid relative to this issue on Wednesday, June 2.