Do your children need to have some immunizations before they can attend school this year? Your health insurance covers school shots, without a co-pay, deductible, or co-insurance, if you get them from an in-network provider. That provider could be a pharmacy.
Part of the Affordable Care Act went into effect on September 23, 2010. It requires all health insurance plans to cover immunizations for children who are zero through eighteen years of age without any cost-sharing requirements.
This means you can get your children the shots that they need for school without paying a co-pay, co-insurance, or deductible if you get the immunizations from an in-network provider. What pharmacy is considered to be in-network for your health plan? See if that pharmacy is offering a deal for people who have their children receive school vaccinations from that pharmacy.
Vons Pharmacy will give you 10% off your groceries if you get your school immunizations done at a Vons Pharmacy.
CVS Pharmacy isn’t offering a special deal, but will let you schedule an appointment for your kids to get their Back-To-School shots.
Walgreens is also allowing you to schedule an appointment for Back-To-School shots. Walgreens will also accept walk-ins. Walgreens has re-connected with Express Scripts.
Ralph’s Pharmacy is also connected with Express Scripts.
What immunizations does your child need this year? According to the Affordable Care Act, the following immunizations for children age zero through 18 are covered by your health insurance plan. They are: Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis, Haemoplilus influenzae type b, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Quadrivalent Human Papillomavirus vaccine for females, Inactivated Poliovirus, Influenza, Measles, Mumps and Rubella, Menigococcal, Rotavirus, and Varicella.
Parents have probably received information from their child’s school that indicates what immunizations are required for their child this school year. I would recommend talking with your regular pediatrician to see if you can get an appointment for you children before school starts. If not, then I would recommend contacting your insurance company, and specifically asking questions to determine if a certain pharmacy is in your network before you head over there.
If you do not have health insurance, or if your plan (for some questionable reason) doesn’t cover immunizations, there are options. The Centers for Disease Control have a program called the Vaccines for Children Program. This could help low-income parents to get their children the immunizations they need for no cost, or for low cost.
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