SCAN Considers Caregiver Hesitancy in Vaccine Efforts

March 18

As supply and scheduling issues have created slowdowns in COVID-19 vaccinations across the country, Medicare Advantage insurers are naturally concerned about their vulnerable senior members and are taking part in numerous partnerships to reach members and the broader community. But a new survey from SCAN Health Plan suggested another cause for concern: the hesitancy of senior caregivers to receive and/or take their seniors get a vaccine, which was especially evident in communities of color.

In a survey of 1,000 individuals who provide care for a family member older than 65, the Long Beach, Calif.-based MA insurer found that 71% have safety doubts about the COVID-19 vaccines that have been granted Emergency Use Authorization. Moreover, 31% of family caregivers who live in rural communities said they won’t take their older adult for the COVID-19 vaccine — nearly double the refusal rate of urban and suburban caregivers (16%).

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Radar on Medicare Advantage

Lauren Flynn Kelly Managing Editor, Radar on Medicare Advantage

Lauren has been covering health business issues since the early 2000s and specializes in in-depth reporting on Medicare Advantage, managed Medicaid and Medicare Part D. She also possesses a deep understanding of the complex world of pharmacy benefit management, having written AIS Health’s Radar on Drug Benefits from 2004 to 2005 and again from 2011 to 2016. In addition to her role as managing editor of Radar on Medicare Advantage, she oversees AIS Health’s publications and manages the health editorial staff. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in English.

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