Medicaid improves access to care to decrease the spread of the H1N1 virus

DENVER – October 21, 2009 – The Department of Health Care Policy and Financing announced today that Medicaid clients now have the option to go to their local pharmacy to receive the H1N1 vaccination. There is no charge for clients ages 18 and under and the cost for clients 19 and over is $1. Medicaid is reimbursing pharmacies for dispensing the vaccine.


Medicaid enrollment is at an all-time high of 481,549 clients – an increase of 88,000 since January 2007. “The department is committed to increasing access to health care services for our clients,” says Sandeep Wadhwa, MD, state Medicaid director. “By providing the option for Medicaid clients to receive the H1N1 vaccine at their local pharmacy, we are supporting their efforts to achieve optimum health and supporting statewide efforts to curtail the spread of the virus.”

About the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing: The department administers the Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus programs as well as a variety of other programs for Colorado’s low-income, elderly and people with disabilities. The mission of the department is to improve access to cost-effective, quality health care services for Coloradans. For more information about the department, please visit Colorado.gov/hcpf.