Health Department improves access to vaccinations

The County Health Department is “filling the gap” to ensure everyone in Lincoln County has access to the vaccinations they need, and for the right price — free.

The department has requested they be able to amend their budget due to the recent success of their immunization program. The amendment would take into account around $16,075 of unexpected revenue created by direct billing of insurance agencies for vaccinations, and allow about $11,000 of this gain to be used to purchase vaccinations to keep up with the current demand.

Public Health Manager Jennifer McCully credits the success to staffing and billing changes “up until last September we were giving vaccinations primarily out of Eureka. Now we have a registered nurse working out of Libby who is better able to cover South Lincoln County, and able to travel and reach more people.”

Nurse Riley Black agrees by adding “last fall we started offering flu shots for businesses to try to make it more convinient and easier for people to get their shots. So we can went to the Forest Service, or to a business, and give everybody shots at the same time. We’re also looking into going to schools and daycare’s so that parent’s don’t have to make an appointment for infant and toddler shots, the flu shot, Hep A/Hep B and the pneumonia vaccine.

All vaccinations are free to the patient, because the department now bills your insurance directly so there’s no out of pocket expense. Those with no insurance, or those on Medicare, are covered under the program so it’s free to everybody. “At the end of the day, this is about getting people protected and covered, and revolves around us trying to support the community” says Black.