Many insurers to offer free H1N1 flu shots

As employers brace for the H1N1 swine flu to hit the Phoenix area in full force this fall, major health insurance companies say they will cover vaccine costs.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona announced Friday that it will cover the vaccine for all its members, while UnitedHealth Group and Health Net of Arizona previously said they will pay.

The H1N1 vaccine isn’t expected to be shipped to local clinics and medical offices until mid-October as it usually takes a year for manufacturers to make the drug based on the previous year’s strain.

Since this flu hit the nation in late April, scientists have been working on a vaccine for the “novel virus.” A virus is termed “novel” when it makes its way into humans for the first time, said Dr. Andrea Houfek, medical director for urgent care and pediatrics for Cigna Medical Group in Phoenix.

Cigna also is covering the H1N1 vaccinations under its preventive care benefit for all members. This means for as much as 80 percent of Cigna's members, it will be covered 100 percent, without co-pays or co-insurance, said Leigh Woodward, spokeswoman for Cigna HealthCare of Arizona.

The H1N1 virus is a specific strain of the swine flu, which means the flu occurs in pigs as well as humans.

“This strain, the novel H1N1, means it has never circulated among humans,” she said.

Seasonal flu shots will not give any immunity to this virus, which is why a new vaccine needs to be created quickly.

Last week, UnitedHealth Group announced it will cover the cost of the vaccine even for enrollees whose health plans do not include immunizations.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that the following population segments receive the vaccine:


Pregnant women
Caregivers for children younger than 6 months
Health care and emergency medical services personnel
Children and young adults from six months through 24 years old
Those aged 25 through 64 years who have underlying health conditions that might increase their risk for flu-related complications

Other population segments, including the elderly, will be able to receive the vaccine as it is made available.

Many seniors may carry some immunity to the H1N1, said Dr. Bob England, director of Maricopa County Department of Public Health.

“Older adults don’t seem to be getting the novel flu as much as younger people,” he said. “There may be some cross immunity from some historic infection that went around 50 or 60 years ago, perhaps. If they get it, they can still get pretty sick, but not many of them are getting this new virus.”

Insurance companies don’t know what the vaccine will cost.

The cost of the vaccine itself is covered by the federal government’s H1N1 vaccination program. Insurance companies only have to pay health care providers to administer the vaccine.

The federal government is offering pandemic planning resources for employers at www.flu.gov.