FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Statement attributable to:
Ada D. Stewart, MD
President
American Academy of Family Physicians
“The American Academy of Family Physicians is pleased that CMS has increased Medicare payment rates for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines – a change that will improve patients’ access to the vaccine. The increased rates more accurately reflect the unique costs associated with storing and administering vaccine products, as well as the time primary care physicians spend counseling patients and answering their questions about the vaccine. We urge state Medicaid programs and private payers to similarly increase their payment rates in order to improve equitable access for all patients.
“Primary care physicians are essential to addressing vaccine hesitancy and improving access to COVID-19 vaccines within their communities. There is growing evidence demonstrating that patients, particularly those who are hesitant, trust and want to hear from their physician about the COVID-19 vaccine. Recent survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation also suggests patients would prefer to receive the vaccine from their own physician. Unfortunately, most independent primary care practices aren’t able to obtain vaccines for their patients.
“In order to foster patients’ confidence and achieve herd immunity, family physicians and other primary care physicians must be an integral part of vaccine distribution. Federal, state and local governments have taken several steps to leverage potential vaccinators across health care professions, but recent evidence confirms that distributing vaccines to primary care practices would be a more effective strategy to increase access. Policymakers should expeditiously incorporate primary care practices into existing vaccine distribution plans.”
Editor's Note: To arrange an interview with Dr. Stewart, contact Megan Moriarty, 800-274-2237, Ext. 6052, or mmoriarty@aafp.org.
###
About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.