BCBSIL Grant Promotes Preventative Care, Immunization Access

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) has distributed $480,000 in preventative care funding to help organizations across the state to increase vaccination and immunization access.

BCBSIL allocated grants ranging from $20,000 and $50,000 to 12 organizations as part of the BCBSIL Care Van® Immunization Initiative.

A recent report from the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association estimated that due to COVID-19, children nationwide will have missed nearly nine million polio, MMR, and DTaP vaccinations this year.

“Immunizations are a building block for community health and providing people with easy, free access has been a priority for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois for decades,” said Harmony Harrington, vice president of community and government relations at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic we’ve seen the rate of immunizations decline, just at a time when it is more important than ever for people to keep themselves healthy,” Harrington continued. “Through this effort, we’re looking to empower and extend the reach of others focused on the same goal: increasing access to immunizations to improve community health.”

All organizations chosen to receive a BCBSIL grant have an existing program in place that provides immunizations to people with or without health insurance. The funds can be used to promote their immunization & vaccination services, purchase vaccines, or hire additional staff.

Organizations receiving funding include Chicago Family Health Center, Southern Seven Health Department, Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare, Lawndale Christian Health Center, SIGF Healthcare, SIU Center for Family Medicine, and Inner-City Muslim Action Network, among others.

BCBSIL is emphasizing the importance of immunizations, vaccinations, and health screenings through their Wellness Can’t Wait campaign, which encourages Illinoisans to stay up-to-date with preventative care services in order to improve community health.

“As COVID-19 began to show its devastating impact on communities across Illinois, we worked with all of our health plans to stimulate investment in services to fill the gaps in care that people needed during this unprecedented time,” said Theresa Eagleson, director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

“We’re glad to see this money being put to good use during the public health emergency in ways that support our customers and the communities in which they live,” Eagleson continued. “This is just one example of the good work being done by our health plans to meet our customers’ needs.”

The Care Van Immunization Initiative has been providing access to preventative care for thirty years. This initiative is just one of the ways BCBSIL is reinvesting Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) funds to provide quality care to Medicaid Members and improve community health, which has become especially crucial during COVID-19.

BCBSIL has addressed social determinants of health for members by supporting food insecurity programs, telemedicine infrastructure, and more.

In partnership with ADA and Top Box Foods, BCBSIL provided more than 2,000 healthy meal kits to members needing meal assistance in Aurora, Chicago, and Rockford.

BCBSIL also focused on the needs of behavioral health patients by allowing care coordinators to leverage funding to cover housing applications, toiletries, state ID costs, and non-covered transportation expenses. Additionally, BCBSIL expanded the telemedicine infrastructure of the BCBSIL contracted Community Mental Health Centers and Substance Use Recovery Providers to expand access to care.

“COVID-19 has created struggles for so many but is also a time of opportunity for us to find creative ways to help our members and the greater community,” said Nancy Wohlhart, BCBSIL’s vice-president of Illinois Medicaid. “We’ve been able to look at how we can create really impactful, quick-turn programs that we believe will create lasting benefits for people across Illinois.”