silly question about school.immunizations anx paying for them?

[wannabeny]

Ok..so I am going through the procesd of getting my physical and immunizations for nursing school, and i need the following:

ppd test

tetorifice

flu

rubella/rubeola or mmr

hep b

varicella

my insurance, whom i have called twice, covers ALL except the ppd. they say it is preventative care.

im kind of frustrated (AKA alot frustrated) because my PCP has sent me out to do the vaccines.

Everywhere I have called, they refuse to just bill my insurance, they want upfront out of pocket expense for all of them, even though all of them are in-network providers for my health coverage,

why is this? Even the insurance reps I spoke to couldn't understand why they wouldn't bill them, and tried to call on my behalf.

anyway, my PCP wrote me these.lovely blue paper script things, with lots of lovely security features, with her signature,my name, and what vaccines/titers i needed.

is that like a doctors script, since she couldn't do them at her office? the walk in by me said if i have a doctors script or order that i wouldn't pay upfront, so im just wondering of thats what they are.

i haven't had a shot since,oh, 10 yrs ago, and just got insurance 2 yrs ago, so excuse my ignorance.

[quiltynurse56, LPN, LVN]

Take the list of the immunizations, titers and tests you need to a walk-in clinic and ask them to do them and to bill your insurance. All of those are preventative procedures.

[wannabeny]

I guess things are different up north. We just go to the hospital to get these done, not some outside clinic. I think your issue is you are bringing up insurance issues before they even bill. Just give them your insurance card. They should just bill you. Most of mine were covered. My flu vaccine is covered 100% every year. I have never paid for a flu vaccine.

im going to take your suggestion and try my hospital lab.

Take the list of the immunizations, titers and tests you need to a walk-in clinic and ask them to do them and to bill your insurance. All of those are preventative procedures.

the walk in clinics are the ones.im having a big issue with. they want up front payment. (one.walk.in wanted to charge $350 for all of it)

[Anonymous865]

good luck!

[canigraduate]

You can get cheaper vaccines than that from Walgreens. I worked agency and paid for my own PPD and flu shots for a couple of years. It was easier and cheaper than getting them through my husband's insurance. The agencies had me get drug screens and bloodwork from different offices, depending on what state I was in and what test was needed.

You don't necessarily have to get everything done at one place. I got my blood drawn from the lab office, got my urine screen done at an independent place, and got my shots at various drugstores.

The best thing to do is call your insurance plan and have them tell you where to go to have the labs drawn and where to go to get the shots. They've already told you that everything is covered, now they can tell you where to go to get them.

[FurBabyMom, MSN, RN]

Mine were all - vaccines and PPD tests - always just done at my primary care provider's office or through work. The only one I ever had to go through the county Health Department for was the H1N1 vaccine in 2009. I never paid more than the co-pay... Everything at work related to required stuff or post-exposure is covered by work (preventative or workers compensation).

My employer doesn't even require annual PPD's. They require a two-step or documentation of such for employment, and then they only require repeat testing if you have been exposed to TB at work (or suspected exposure otherwise).

[wannabeny]

well, took me 45 minutes, but my insurance found a place that will accept them so relieved roight now

[wannabeny]

thanks everyone for the suggestions and the insight on why they aren't covered, appreciate the help!

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

Some states allow pharmacists to administer vaccines and a lot of pharmacies have walk-in clinics. I have seen some labs that will draw titers. I know the minute clinics can do the placement and reads.