Humana president and CEO Bruce D. Broussard has announced collaboration with the government and America’s Health Insurance Plan (AHIP) on the vaccine Community Connectors Program. In a tweet, Broussard said, “We will help America’s most at-risk, vulnerable and underserved communities to get the COVID-19 vaccines; to provide education and awareness; to support vaccine administration; and to track and confirm initial and second dosing.”
- 1.Community Connectors program
- The pilot initiative aims to enable the vaccination of 2 million seniors aged 65+ in America’s most at-risk, vulnerable and underserved communities – such as African American and Hispanic communities. Insurance providers will focus on their members and the communities they serve. They are working to reach this important goal quickly, depending upon the increasing availability of vaccine supply.
- 2. Program execution
- As vaccine supplies expand and registrations become available, health insurance providers will use AHIP’s combined expertise, data, and insights to identify 65+ seniors who are vulnerable to COVID-19 and who live in areas where vaccination rates are most inequitable. They will work with partners in the community to educate seniors on the safety, efficacy, and value of vaccines. Payers will also work with federal, state, and local leaders to deliver vaccines to underserved communities and closely collaborate with other vaccination partners, for example pharmacies.
- 3. Identifying the most vulnerable
- Health insurance providers will use their enrollee data, analytics, and capabilities, and will rely on several methods — including government resources such as the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), — to help identify the 25% most vulnerable communities. The equitable distribution of vaccines demonstrates the critical importance of strong partnerships between the public sector and the private market.
- 4. Break down barriers
- By tailoring the outreach approach to each community, health insurance providers will be able to best meet unique community needs. “Vaccines save lives, and health insurance providers have been working hard to break down barriers that stand between Americans and COVID-19 vaccines,” said Matt Eyles, AHIP president, and CEO.
- 5. Health equity
- Tonya Adams, national spokesperson for the Vaccine Community Connectors program and chief customer experience officer at Regence BlueCross BlueShield, said, “Improving health equity means setting important goals, removing barriers to better care, and meeting people where they are. We look forward to working with all partners across the public and private sectors to provide millions of seniors with an equal opportunity for protection from this virus.”