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?
A7. Must both the employer and the insurer, or third-party administrator (TPA) administering the plan, pay the assessment for a given covered life?
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?
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?
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?
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?
Yes. Please e-mail Help@AKvaccine.org explaining the mistake and the amount you need for reimbursement. The AVAP Council will then determine the best way to correct the mistake.
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?
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”?
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?
P3. Can providers still purchase vaccines privately?
P4. Do providers need to pay for state-supplied vaccines for children and covered adults?
No. Providers do not need to pay for state-supplied vaccines. Providers can receive state-supplied vaccines at no out of pocket cost for all children vaccines and select vaccines for adults covered by participating payers. The assessment for this vaccine is paid by the assessable entities that provide health care coverage for these patients.
P5. How does this program affect patients?
P6. Are health care providers who care for uninsured adults required to participate in the assessment?
No. However, providers are able to voluntarily opt into the assessment to receive vaccines for uninsured adults. Providers pay the assessment rate (published on the Home page) for their uninsured adult patients. Providers who decide not to opt in to the vaccine assessment will continue to privately purchase vaccine from the marketplace for their uncovered clients.
To receive information about how to opt in, please contact immune@alaska.gov.
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?
VacTrAK is Alaska’s Immunization Information System (IIS). This web-based system provides a confidential, population-based, computerized system to maintain immunization information for Alaskans of all ages. Effective December 29, 2013, health care providers are required to report all administered immunizations to VacTrAK within 14 days of vaccine administration (7 AAC 27.650). This reporting requirement is applicable for any vaccine administered, including state supplied and privately purchased vaccine.
V6. Does AVAP impact my taxes?
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?