Assessments
A1. Why did the Alaska legislature form the Alaska Vaccine Assessment Program (AVAP)?
A2. How does the program save money?
A3. How does AVAP work for payers and providers?
A4. Who oversees the program?
A5. Are insurance carriers the only entities paying the assessment?
A6. What does "assessable entity" mean?
“Assessable entity” means any health carrier or other entity that contracts or offers to provide, deliver, arrange, pay for, or reimburse any of the costs of health services.
A7. Must both the employer and the insurer, or third-party administrator (TPA) administering the plan, pay the assessment for a given covered life?
No. AVAP avoids counting any covered life twice by holding the entity that pays for the vaccine administration cost also responsible for paying the assessment.
A8. Must Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plans pay the assessment?
A9. Are publicly funded health care benefit plans mandated to participate in AVAP?
A10. How are an entity's assessments determined?
The assessment is based on an online quarterly survey of assessable entities' covered lives. Each year, AVAP via the Council sets separate assessment rates per adult and child covered life. The Council will evaluate whether the "covered lives" approach will be continued in subsequent years. For more information on reporting and assessment payments, see www.akvaccine.org.
A11. What is the current assessment rate?
A12. Are the childhood and adult vaccine-eligible populations combined to form a single assessment cost per payer?
A13. Are payments made by assessment payers accountable as medical expenses?
A14. Does the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) preempt any provisions of the AVAP?
A15. Where can I find more details about the AVAP assessment rate calculation?
A16. When are assessment payments due?
AVAP operates on a calendar year running from January 1 to December 31. Quarterly assessments are due 45 days after the close of each quarter, meaning reports and payments will typically be due on February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15. Quarterly payments are based on the number of covered lives an entity reports for the three months in each preceding quarter.
A17. What if AVAP collects too little?
A18. What if AVAP collects too much?
A19. If I am a Payer, where do I go to complete the online assessment?
A20. Are there any tutorials on the use of this system?
Yes. Webinar videos and filing guides are available. Click here for more information.
A21. What if I have registered in the assessment system, but I need to change some of my information?
A22. If I make a mistake in my report, how can I correct it?
Please e-mail Help@AKvaccine.org with an explanation of the mistake. AVAP will provide assistance so that you can print a corrected remittance form.
A23. I accidentally overpaid. Can I be reimbursed?
A24. How do I submit my payment?
A25. What if I submit a late report or payment?
A26. How do I create a password for the assessment system on www.akvaccine.org?
A27. What should I do if my company has created a password for the assessment system on www.akvaccine.org, but I no longer have it?
A28. Can payers opt out of the Alaska Vaccine Assessment Program?
A29. Is the assessment voluntary?
A30. Will participating payers save money starting in 2016?
Yes. 2016 rates are favorable even when viewed against similar programs in other states that are more mature and, therefore, already had paid all of their startup costs. For most payers, savings for 2016 are anticipated to run in the 20% range and to get even better in subsequent years. DHSS is committed to financial transparency in this program and so anticipates publishing a retrospective financial analysis after each program year to evaluate actual cost savings of AVAP when measured against CDC’s annual survey of private purchase vaccine costs. Other states with universal vaccine purchase programs similar to AVAP typically have produced vaccine cost savings, on average, between 22% and 30%. Savings have been consistent year after year in those states.
Covered Lives
C1. Must entities report only child covered lives, or should adult covered lives be included as well?
C2. What are “adult covered lives”?
C3. What are “child covered lives”?
“Child covered lives” are Alaska residents who are 0 through 18 years of age who are:
(a) Covered under an individual health insurance policy;
(b) Covered under a group health insurance policy;
(c) Protected, in part, by a group excess loss insurance policy; or
(d) Protected, in part, by an employee benefit plan of a self-insured entity or any government plan for any employer or government entity.
C4. Must an entity file reports even if it does not provide medical benefits and therefore has zero covered lives?
C5. If an entity files a Permanent Zero Covered Lives Report, but it later has covered lives, what should it do?
C6. If my company has filed an Annual Zero Covered Lives Report, when should we file our next report?
Government Programs
G1. Has AVAP changed anything for the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program (VFC) or state-sponsored medical plans?
G2. Do providers still need to screen for VFC eligibility?
Providers
P1. Does this program affect how providers receive vaccine?
P2. What are the benefits for my practice in receiving state-supplied vaccine through AVAP?
AVAP is able to buy vaccines at discounted rates off a bulk contract compared to market prices. Providers can then receive state-supplied vaccines for all covered patients and avoid the financial and administrative burdens of purchasing vaccines and maintaining separate vaccine storage and tracking systems.
P3. Can providers still purchase vaccines privately?
P4. Do providers need to pay for state-supplied vaccines for children and covered adults?
P5. How does this program affect patients?
P6. Are health care providers who care for uninsured adults required to participate in the assessment?
P7. Could providers get vaccine for uninsured adults, funded by surplus funds, even if they don't opt in?
P8. Will providers incur a higher assessment cost for adult vaccines than they are currently paying?
P9. How will providers be compensated for the administration of vaccines?
P10. Are pharmacists able to participate in the program?
P11. Should providers bill $0.00 or $0.01 for state-supplied vaccines?
P12. How do providers enroll to receive state-supplied vaccine?
P13. How can I get updated information on AVAP?
P14. What patient eligibility (VFC) Codes should be used?
P15. Will providers have a choice of which vaccine brands to use?
Vaccines
V1. Who sets vaccine policy?
V2. What vaccines are covered by the Alaska Immunization Program?
V3. Is the cost of seasonal flu vaccine included in the assessment rates?
V4. Does AVAP establish a vaccine mandate?
V5. What is VacTrAK?
V6. Does AVAP impact my taxes?
No. AVAP does not impact taxes as it is not funded by taxpayers. AVAP collects the costs of vaccines and program expenses from insurers, third-party administrators, and other payers who are already obligated to pay health care costs for their beneficiaries.
V7. How does AVAP know the amount of vaccine it needs to purchase?
V8. Does DHSS expect vaccine uptake rates to increase once AVAP goes into effect?