WHEELING, W.Va. —– As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available in West Virginia, Ohio and across the nation, The Health Plan (THP) has announced that it will cover the administration cost of COVID-19 vaccines that receive emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at no cost to its members, both during and after the public health emergency.
“Our members, providers and communities have had enough hardship this year. As the vaccine becomes available, nobody should have to worry about the cost,” said Jeff Knight, President and COO of THP. “It is vitally important that as many people as possible get vaccinated, beginning with our frontline workers and those in assisted living facilities, so that we can end this pandemic together.”
The COVID-19 vaccine will be available in phases to different populations as determined by each state’s public health system and based on the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The first group to get vaccinated includes healthcare workers and those who live and work in assisted living facilities. As additional vaccines are granted emergency use authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), states will receive more vaccines and have the ability to offer it to more and more people.
Each state’s public health system will make this information available to the public as it becomes available and progresses. Individuals should consult their primary care provider or local public health authorities with questions about vaccine safety and to find out who is eligible for the vaccine.
Covering COVID-19 vaccine administration costs is just the latest action THP has taken to fight the pandemic in our local communities. THP waived copays, enacted cost share waivers for testing and treatment of COVID-19, and relaxed authorization and concurrent review criteria. In addition, THP’s “Spirit of Giving” campaign has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to community food banks, programs for domestic violence, homelessness and substance use disorder.
“As we all patiently await our turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, it is extremely important that we continue to wear our masks, practice social distancing, wash our hands and keep our groups small – especially throughout the rest of the holiday season and into the new year,” said Knight. “2020 has been a tough year on several fronts. But with this vaccine, there is finally light at the end of the tunnel as we all look toward 2021 and better, healthier days ahead. By working together, we can get through this. We must all do our part.”
About The Health Plan
As one of the largest locally managed care organizations in West Virginia, The Health Plan has a 40-year history of community and charitable giving. From sponsorship of local youth-focused asthma and diabetes camps to college scholarship programs and sponsorships of dozens of community events throughout the region, The Health Plan strives to make a positive and healthy impact throughout the geographic regions that we serve.
The Health Plan (healthplan.org) is a clinically-driven, technology-enhanced, and customer focused health maintenance organization that manages and improves the health and wellbeing of its members. Established in 1979, the West Virginia-based company, with offices in Wheeling, Charleston and Morgantown, WV and Massillon, OH has offered a complete line of managed care products and services designed to provide health care systems and clients with innovative health care benefits and plans at a reasonable cost across the mid-Atlantic region and nationally.
