BATON ROUGE, La. – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) updated its COVID-19 vaccine booster recommendation last week, now advising that anyone 18 or older may get a booster. The Louisiana Department of Health recommends all adults get a booster dose of the vaccine as the winter months and holiday season approach. COVID-19 vaccines are available to anyone age 5 or older, but health officials have not made a booster recommendation for children at this time.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana covers the COVID-19 booster shot at $0 out of pocket for eligible members of individual and employer health plans. Eligible members of Medicare and Medicaid plans or uninsured patients also can get a COVID-19 booster vaccine at no cost. This no-cost coverage is required by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. If you have questions about vaccine coverage on your health plan, contact Customer Service at the number on your member ID card.
The insurer is offering programs and services to remove any barriers for Louisianians to get their COVID-19 vaccines or booster doses.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation is sponsoring free ride programs for COVID-19 vaccine and booster appointments statewide. Many community organizations offer similar programs. If you do not have a vehicle, are unable to drive or have other barriers to getting your COVID-19 vaccine, call 211 to get connected to programs in your area.
And, Blue Cross is sponsoring a “Riding Toward Immunity” promotion with Blue Bikes, New Orleans’ bikeshare program. Through Dec. 31, riders can pedal past the pandemic by using promotional codes for free, 30-minute trips to and from their COVID-19 vaccine or booster appointments. The Blue Bikes free ride codes are only valid for trips to and from COVID-19 vaccine or booster sites located within the bikeshare program’s service area. Learn more and see a map of Blue Bikes locations at www.BlueBikesNOLA.com or follow Blue Bikes on social media @BlueBikesNOLA.
How to Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster
Health officials recommend everyone age 5 and older gets the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccines are safe and effective at preventing death, hospitalization or severe illness from COVID-19. If you have not gotten your first COVID-19 vaccine yet, make plans to do so as soon as possible. If you have questions or concerns, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information about the vaccine.
You can call the State of Louisiana’s Vaccine Hotline at 1-855-453-0774 for help scheduling a COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot appointment. The hotline staff can help you find vaccine locations near you or connect you with clinicians who can answer your vaccine questions. Or, visit the Louisiana Department of Health’s website to see a list of vaccine locations.
Visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube channel to see short videos on the COVID-19 vaccines and other health topics. Subscribe to know when new videos are added. You can connect with Blue Cross on social media for regular updates. Blue Cross posts regularly on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and now, TikTok.
For information on what Blue Cross is doing in response to COVID-19, visit www.bcbsla.com/covid19.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying nonprofit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We were recognized in 2019 and 2020 as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at www.bcbsla.com or talk to us on social media.
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