Using Health Insurance Network Provider Data and Public Data Sets to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinators in the USA

Abstract

Objective: Mass vaccination planning is occurring at all levels of government in advance of regulatory approval and manufacture of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine for distribution sometime in 2021. We outline a methodology in which both health insurance provider network data and publicly available data sources can be used to identify and plan for SARS-CoV-2 vaccinator capacity at the county level.Methods: Sendero Health Plans, Inc. provider network data, Texas State Board of Pharmacy data, US Census Bureau data, and H1N1 monovalent vaccine data were utilized to identify providers with demonstrated capacity to vaccinate the population in Travis County, Texas to achieve an estimated SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity target of 67%.Results: Within the Sendero network, 2,356 non-pharmacy providers were identified with 788 (33.4%) practicing in primary care and 1,569 (66.6%) practicing as specialists. Of the total, 686 (29.1%) provided at least one immunization between January 1, 2019 and September 30, 2020. There are 300 pharmacies with active licenses in Travis County with 161 (53.7%) classified as community pharmacies. We estimate that 1,707,098 doses of a 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine series will need to be administered within Travis County, Texas to achieve the estimated 67% herd immunity threshold to disrupt person-to-person transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus based on 2020 census data.Conclusion: A community-based health insurance plan can use data from its provider network and public data sources to support the CDC call to action to identify SARS-CoV-2 vaccinators in the community, including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacies in order to provide macro level estimates of SARS-CoV-2 administration and throughput.

Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Vaccine Hesitancy in Central Texas Immediately Prior to COVID-19 Vaccine Availability

“…Finally, as all participants in this survey have health insurance, we do not know if there is a difference in planned COVID-19 vaccine uptake among the uninsured or underinsured; however, we believe that since COVID-19 vaccination is free at the point of service, health insurance status would not introduce sufficient bias. If anything, individuals who are uninsured or underinsured may be more hesitant to obtain the vaccine than the population described herein, as they may be less likely to interact with the health care system at large, thus increasing the need for public health to operate mass vaccination clinics [ 28 ].…”

Evolution or Revolution? Recommendations to Improve the Swiss Health Data Framework

“…In fact, another qualitative study evaluating Canada's e-health policy underlined the importance of having a comprehensive and well-structured national strategy to favour the development of information technology in health, underlining in particular the need "to align the investment in information technology with the priorities of the health care system and of health care providers in order to accelerate adoption and achieve early return on the investment" (40). Switzerland formally has a national e-health strategy, but this is almost exclusively focused on the introduction of nationwide interoperable EPD that needs to be offered -at least initially 4 -only in the in-patient sector (hospitals and nursing homes) (17). Such "narrow" approach in the e-health national policy can have positive side effects, such as setting more specific objectives and parameters, rather than turning the e-health policy in a collection of general political statements (41).…”

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptors, Refusers, and the Moveable Middle: A Qualitative Study from Central Texas

“…Vaccine-induced herd immunity continues to represent the best opportunity to exit the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the goal of any vaccination campaign is to achieve vaccine-induced herd immunity as quickly as possible in order to prevent further transmission of disease [ 1 ]. However, data suggest a level of hesitancy among individuals when determining whether or not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine—a hesitancy that extends from childhood [ 2 ] and adult vaccines [ 3 ] to the novel H1N1 influenza pandemic [ 4 ] and COVID-19 pandemic vaccines [ 5 ].…”