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What is a company-sponsored flu clinic?
A company sponsored flu clinic is an event during which the company hires certified nurses to set-up an on-site “clinic” to offer their employees an opportunity to become immunized without having to leave the office. The CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.

BCBSMA schedules on-site flu clinics through our high quality third-party vendor. The vendor is able to process the Flu shots as claims for all BCBSMA members with no out-of-pocket cost. The BCBSMA vendor does not provide Flu Mist or Quadrivalent vaccines at worksite clinics.

On-site flu clinics through BCBSMA are available to accounts with 100 or more employees only.

Who is eligible to receive a shot?
Vaccines are administered to individuals ages 18 and over. Anyone receiving a shot has to fill out a consent form onsite before receiving the shot (consent form provided onsite at the clinic).

When are the flu clinics scheduled?
Flu clinics may be scheduled for dates between September 15 and December 18, 2015. BCBSMA requires a minimum of 4 weeks lead time to guarantee preferred dates and times.

BCBSMA requests you fill out a flu clinic request form. It outlines all of the information the carrier needs to schedule clinics. Once your request has been processed, our coordinator will contact you (the Event Requestor) to let you know of any questions, or to confirm the event date, time, and payment method.

How much does it cost?
Blue Cross Eligible Plan Members:
Our HMO Blue (local and New England), Blue Choice (local and New England) primary care provider (PCP)/ plan-approved level of benefits), and Blue Care Elect and PPO (In-Network Benefits) members have full coverage for flu shots performed by participating or preferred providers, including a worksite clinic. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (HMO/PPO) plan members that receive a flu shot in the worksite setting administered by a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts contracted provider/vendor will automatically have it submitted as a medical claim and will not be subject to any cost share. Employees must present their Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts member ID card at the clinic. Employees can use their spouse’s insurance if the spouse and employee are covered be BCBSMA

Note: Each Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts member will be required to show a member-ID card at the clinic in order for the benefit to be applied.

If an employee does not present his or her Blue Cross member ID card, or if the claim is denied, the $23.00 cost per shot will be invoiced to you, the Account.

In order to prevent errors in billing, it is advisable for employees to bring their medical insurance ID card to the flu clinic, just as they would for a visit to their provider. If you’d like to be onsite at the clinic to provide Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts insurance ID numbers off of a roster for those who forget their card, that is permissible. We cannot request that the vendor provide this service.

Optional: If you do NOT want to use the Blue Cross coverage for ANY flu shots, you must elect “100% Account Pay” on the Seasonal Flu Clinic Scheduler when you request your flu clinic.

Non-Blue Cross Eligible Members:

For non-Blue Cross eligible members who receive a flu shot in the worksite environment, administered by a Blue Cross-contracted provider/vendor, Blue Cross will invoice the $23.00 cost of the flu shot to you, the Account.

Other Pertinent Info for Employers

  • There is a 25 shot minimum for each flu clinic event (if less than 25 participants attend your flu clinic event, the Account will be invoiced for 25 participants for each clinic).
  • Flu clinics must be scheduled for a minimum of 2 hours.
  • Flu clinics scheduled for 3 hours or less must be scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m. or earlier, or 1:00 p.m. or later.
  • Event changes or cancellations must be submitted at least seven (7) business days prior to an event. Otherwise, penalty fees may apply.
  • Employees who are not able to attend the onsite flu shot clinic have number of alternative options to receive the flu shot. Blue Cross has partnered with a range of doctors, hospitals, and facilities to offer flu shots. Before receiving a flu shot, employees should verify their coverage at that location.

Web Resources

For a flu clinic scheduler/request form, please email Danielle Pepin at danielle.pepin@hrknowledge.com.

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