Prevention
- Immunizations (Pneumococcal Pneumonia/Influenza)
Pneumonia and Influenza are the fifth leading cause of death in older adults in the United States. Through IFMC commitment to preventive care and Health Information Technology (HIT) our goal to decrease this mortality rate can be realized.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that invasive pneumococcal
disease is greater than 50 per 100,000 in the 65 and older population with
more than half of the deaths caused by this disease occurring in
this age group. Also, in the United States, on average, 5 to 20 percent of the
population gets the flu each season and more than 200,000 people are
hospitalized from flu complications with 36,000 of those admitted dying
from the flu.
IFMC is working with practices to utilize their Electronic Health Record systems to address both Pneumonia and Influenza prevention. This is accomplished through collaborative efforts to develop action plans and workflow processes to efficiently capture, track, and generate data in order to ensure appropriate preventive care management in regards to pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations.
Medicare covers the cost of both the influenza and pneumococcal immunizations for the Medicare beneficiary. Pneumococcal vaccine at 65 generally provides coverage for remainder of life with some high-risk individuals requiring a booster. Medicare will pay for high-risk booster vaccination if 5 years have passed since their last vaccination. There are separate payment rates for the cost of the vaccine and the actual administration of the vaccine.
For further information regarding our EHR Preventive Care Initiative, contact the Prevention Team at 1-800-383-2856.
Click here for immunization resources and publications