Are Immunizations on Your Back-to-School List?
August 30, 2017 · Amy Maciejowski
August has always been my favorite month. (And not just because it’s my birthday month). What I loved about August was back-to-school shopping. Walking up and down the aisles of Target― scouring their Back-To-School bins for a new pack of pens or the color-coordinated notebooks and book socks. Not to mention the trips to JCPenny for a brand new first day of school outfit.
As parents and kids spend this week preparing for the new school year― they’ll probably head to the store for school supplies, new outfits and lunchboxes. But, that’s not the only stop on their back-to-school list. They’ll be making a trip to the doctor’s office.
Before heading into the school year, kids need a clean bill of health. That’s why in August, we celebrate National Immunization Awareness Month. To remind kids and parents the importance of getting immunizations and to educate both on the appropriateness and scientific value of immunizations. Recommended immunizations for each age group are meant to protect kids and adults from the spread of illnesses. The recommended immunization schedule is vital to follow. You can check out the schedule here.
Health Plans Rated Highest in…
At NCQA, we measure how often things get done. That’s true for immunizations, too!
And we always like to give a shout out to people who do it well. That way, when choosing a health plan, you could consider plans that rate highly for adhering to immunization schedules.
For years, NCQA has compared and rated health plans according to their performance and care using quality measures. To celebrate National Immunization Awareness Month, we send some kudos to health plans that perform well in these measures.
Of the more than 1,400 health plans rated in 2016, the commercial plans below had the highest scores for Childhood Immunizations and had an overall health plan ratings score of 5:
- Tufts Benefit Administrators, Inc.
- UPMC Health Coverage, Inc.
- UPMC Benefit Management Services, Inc.
- UPMC Health Plan, Inc.
- Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan, Inc. (CDPHP)
- Capital District Physicians’ Healthcare Network, Inc. (CDPHN)
- Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organizations, Inc.
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue, Inc.
- Capital Health Plan, Inc.
Of the more than 1,400 health plans rated in 2016, the commercial plans below had the highest scores for Adolescent Immunizations and had an overall health plan ratings score of 5:
- Tufts Benefit Administrators, Inc.
- UPMC Health Coverage, Inc.
- UPMC Benefit Management Services, Inc.
- UPMC Health Plan, Inc.
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.
- Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization, Inc.
- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.- Northern California
- Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue, Inc.
Observe this Awareness month with us by sharing your stories on social media using #NIAM17.
