How We Ran a Community Vaccine Clinic Without Billing Insurance: 84 Doses in a Day in Rural Direct Primary Care

In short

Dr Maryal Concepcion described how her rural California practice, Big Trees MD, gave 84 vaccine doses in one day without billing insurance. She explained why access is poor in Calaveras County and that the clinic is VFC certified. Pharmacist Urvish Atalia explained how the pharmacy dispenses vaccines without an administration fee, how much lead time he needs, and how he helps people with insurance questions. Maryal gave a seven-step checklist and summarized how two other DPC practices handle Medicare conversations.

Key points

• Maryal said the clinic vaccinated non-members and was VFC certified so children with no or inadequate insurance were covered.
• Urvish explained the pharmacy gets vaccines approved through insurance without billing an administration fee, and the physician picks them up and administers them.
• Urvish said about a week's notice is plenty for ordering, and he keeps extras for walk-ups.
• Maryal advised booking real appointment slots, with no more than two people per half hour per vaccinator.
• Urvish described how helping patients choose cheaper insurance plans can save them money and help them keep paying for membership.

Chapters

1. 1:25 84 doses and why the clinic did it
2. 3:29 Rural access gaps in Calaveras County
3. 5:26 Pharmacist Urvish on independent pharmacy
4. 7:46 How the vaccine reaches the patient
5. 11:30 Ordering timelines and billing by coverage
6. 15:53 Seven steps for a first clinic
7. 17:23 Pharmacist's insurance licence and Medicare help
8. 21:13 Two DPC practices on Medicare conversations
9. 22:39 Running the numbers and the toolkit