MM Curator summary
KY MCOs are increasing efforts to increase the low vax rate among Medicaid members.
The article below has been highlighted and summarized by our research team. It is provided here for member convenience as part of our Curator service.
A Kentucky managed care program is using $100 gift cards to entice Medicaid recipients into getting the COVID-19 vaccine. WellCare Kentucky is providing the in-home shots in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
“We’re here to help those who want to be protected from COVID-19. We’ve gone community-by-community, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, and now we’re going door-to-door,” WellCare Kentucky Chief Medical Officer Sandra Guerra, M.D., said. “Meeting our members where they are to ensure they have the care and services they need to get and stay healthy is critical to our mission and an integral part of our efforts to make vaccines available to anyone who wants one.”
Roughly 44% of Kentucky residents have been fully vaccinated so far — well below the national rate of 49%. In some rural parts of Kentucky the vaccination rate is below 25%. COVID-19 cases have been spiking in Kentucky over the past month. At the end of June, the state had a seven-day moving average of 162 cases. Last Friday, that number shot up to more than 600 cases.
Only WellCare members who opt in and agree to participate will be able to schedule an in-home appointment and receive a gift card. The program is available July through August.