The pediatric Flu Shot Clinic at Saltzer’s Main location (215 E. Hawaii Ave, Nampa) will be held November 11, 12, 18, 19, 20 and December 20 for a second shot for those who need it. Please call Saltzer’s Pediatrics number 468-5930 to schedule an appointment.
Vaccine preventable disease rates are at all time lows due to diligent research, effective immunization systems, and outreach. This success has come from a collaboration of private and public sectors. Nonetheless, there are still barriers to optimizing immunization protection from vaccine preventable diseases. Prior to modern day immunizations, many diseases impacted countless numbers of children with disability and, unfortunately, mortality. In recent decades, there have been advances in vaccines broadening the protection net for children and adults. As vaccine preventable illnesses diminish, such as polio, measles, pertussis and even now haemophilus, pneumococcus, rotavirus and varicella, the public loses valuable memory of the devastation of these diseases. Yet outside of the United States one million deaths occur annually from measles alone. Complacency sets in from a lack of knowledge of natural diseases and fears of adverse events, including autism, further add to the barriers to protecting our children and adults. Idaho continues to struggle to obtain higher immunization coverage rates.
The Idaho Immunization Program, funded jointly by the State of Idaho and the Centers for Disease Control, has grown in the past decade improving our rates considerably. The Idaho Immunization Program hosted an Immunization Summit in the fall of 2007 inviting public and private health sectors to formulate the problems facing our State and potential solutions. The group discussed the successes of the Canyon Area Immunization Coalition and proposed a Statewide Coalition. Idaho is the only state in the Nation without a widespread or statewide Immunization Coalition.
This brings us to May of 2008. The AAP Idaho Chapter held an Immunization Congress, funded by a grant from AAP National. The congress succeeded in bringing public and private sectors together to launch what is now the Idaho Immunization Coalition. The coalition is a 501 c3 non profit organization to enhance the existing immunization system in Idaho. The goal is to protect adults and children from vaccine preventable disease in an efficient, safe and enlightened manner and to maintain the statewide immunization registry. The Coalition will have an Executive Committee with Keith Davis, MD, President of the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians and Tom Patterson, MD, President Elect of the Idaho American Academy of Pediatrics as co-chairmen. Subcommittees consisting of Education, Legislation and Vaccine Outreach will address specific issues. The state Immunization Program, the AAP, and AAFP Idaho Chapters are all on board to see the coalition to fruition. We have succeeded in many ways, though there is much work to be done to reach our goal of maximum immunization coverage in all populations.
As a pediatrician I am concerned about the impact Micron’s new insurance system will have on some of the Treasure Valley’s most vulnerable citizens, children.
The new insurance is structured so that only one hospital in the Boise area is covered by the premium coverage. Use of any other hospital results in higher co-pays, and deductibles, resulting in significantly increased health care costs for Micron families.
St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center is not a part of the premium network. St. Luke’s is the only children’s hospital in the area. St. Luke’s has the only pediatric ICU and is the only hospital in the area that provides coverage by all of the pediatric subspecialists such as gastroenterology, neurology, infectious disease, oncology, etc.
With Micron’s new insurance plan families can only access services at the St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital by paying a much higher deductible and receiving lower reimbursements. This results in much higher medical bills for Micron families seeking proper, high quality medical care for their children.
In addition, many physicians that were previously preferred providers are no longer part of the premium network. Imagine the emotional toll on children and their families who are forced to leave a doctor they have grown to trust.
My partners and I at Saltzer Medical Group have seen many children of Micron employees for years, several with chronic and ongoing medical conditions. The change in insurance plan structure will result in worse outcomes for these children.
I am hoping that Micron will rethink their insurance structure, and put these children before the bottom line.
Katie Copeland, MD
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Saltzer Medical Group, P.A.
