Kennedy remake of CDC vaccine panel has US insurers reassessing sources of expertise
By Amina Niasse and Julie Steenhuysen
New York (Reuters) -Health insurers, according to many insurance industries and experts, are considering new sources of expert to help determine which vaccines to pay as anti -vaccine activists.
Last month, Kennedy left the advice that US Disease Control Centers and Prevention should take COVID-19 strengthening shots of healthy children and pregnant women.
Since then, he fired all 17 -member external vaccine experts who reviewed the data for the CDC and suggested that there was conflicts of interest without providing evidence of such conflicts. Kennedy then changed them with eight of their own choices – about half defended against some vaccines.
At least two CDC staff left Kennedy decisions. The new group is officially gathered on Wednesday for the first time.
He told Reuters, two industrial organizations, two industrial consultants and two insurance companies, he will continue to cover the vaccines proposed by the CDC panel known as the Advisory Committee of the Insurance Industry. However, if ACIP quit suggestions, insurance companies can search for input from professional medical associations and weigh other scientific evidence.
Health firm Avalere Advisor Elif Alyanak, the insurance scope can begin to change, he said. According to the CDC’s website, insurers are required by the appropriate maintenance law to cover the vaccines listed in the Acıp Committee’s program.
Alyanak, “Acıp without making this official proposal, we will not see the same compulsory scope,” he said.
This said it could lead to confusion for patients and providers. “If a patient is vaccinated, it will not be clear whether it will be scope for this, and that the provider will not be repaid or repaid.”
After quitting the suggestion for COVID shooting for pregnant women and healthy children, Kaiser Permanente, a California -based health system that provides insurance and health care, will continue to present on the basis of medical evidence. He said that the vaccines are part of the proactive part of keeping members healthy.
Both American Obstetrics and Gynecology College and the American Pharmacists Association, the removal of COVID vaccine for pregnant women may threaten patient health, he said. APA approved Kennedy’s reviewed advice.
The trade group said that the American health insurance plans or AHIP will decide what to deal with professional organizations such as American Doctors’ Association and American Obstetrics and Gynecologists College.
Alternative experts
Some Public Health and Infectious Disease Specialists are organizing an alternative group to advise the use of vaccination, including Michael Oterholm, Director of Infectious Disease Research and Policy Center, who advised President Joe Biden at COVİD-19. The group said that the group, which has a vaccine integrity project, met with insurers.
New York -based Insurer Centivo, Buffalo Chief Project Officer Alan Cohen, “Considering the changes in Acıp, including the changes, we are actively watching a series of experts to guide our approach to vaccination.” He said.
Former CDC vaccine consultant Dr. Finona Havers said that any external group questioned that it would be difficult for the CDC to increase the work of the ACIP committee and whether it can decide on vaccination access of insurance companies.
He said he was too early to determine whether he would look at another group to decide around the vaccination policy, a national health insurance spokesman who wanted to remain anonymous.
In his statement to Reuters, insurance companies aiming to keep the members of the health plan healthy and reduce the use of medical services will probably continue to cover an annual Covid vaccine.
For other vaccinations that are not compulsory by the Acıp vaccination program, the advisor said that insurance companies would likely weigh the member demographic features and costs of the member.
A vaccine applied during the targeted diseases in childhood, Merck’s shot for the human papillomavirus that prevents certain cancers, can be reduced from the scope, a consultant and a second health policy expert, he said. However, it may continue to cover seasonal vaccines against RSV or influenza, because the costs of treating the disease are much earlier.
Glen Nowak, former communication director of the CDC’s national vaccination program, said that the release of vaccines can save some money for insurance companies. “But if there are large -scale outbreaks, they are at risk of losing everything they save.”
(Reporting by Amina Niasse in New York and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Additional reports by Chad Tehune in Los Angeles; Organizing by Caroline Humer and Bill Berkrot)
