Blue Cross Asks Louisianians Ages 16 and Older to Make Appointments for COVID-19 Vaccines

BATON ROUGE, La. – Effective today, the State of Louisiana has made the COVID-19 vaccine available to all Louisianians ages 16 and up. There are three types of COVID-19 vaccines being given in Louisiana. The Pfizer vaccine is available to people ages 16 and older, and the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available to people ages 18 and older. 

“Now that all adults in our state can get the COVID-19 vaccine, make plans to roll up your sleeve if you have not already,” said Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana executive vice president and chief medical officer Dr. Stephanie Mills. “By getting the vaccine, you are saving lives. Not just yours, but the lives of those you care about.” 

Things to Know About Getting Your COVID-19 Vaccine

• You must make an appointment. You can find a list of COVID-19 vaccine sites on the Louisiana Department of Health’s website. If you go with a group to get vaccines, either to a mass vaccination site or carpooling to a drive-through site, every person who gets a vaccine must make his/her own appointment before arriving. 
  
  
• Get the type of vaccine that’s available to you soonest. All three vaccines were reviewed under the same thorough, scientific process before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized them to be given to patients. And, all three were found safe and effective at preventing deaths and severe outcomes from COVID-19. The main difference is the dose amount -  Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots to get maximum protection, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single shot. 
  
  
• You will not pay anything out of pocket for the vaccine. Patients on individual and employer health insurance plans, Medicare and Medicaid can get any FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine for $0. This no-cost coverage is included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which also allows uninsured patients to get the vaccine for $0. Blue Cross will cover the vaccine’s administration without any member cost-share (deductible, copay or coinsurance) on most health plans. If you have questions about vaccine coverage on your health plan, contact Customer Service at the number on your member ID card.

“Once many more Louisianians get the vaccine, we’ll have greater protection from COVID-19, and that means we can begin moving forward to reopen businesses fully, return to classrooms, enjoy family gatherings and do the things we love with the people we love,” Dr. Mills said. “We all need to do our part to create more immunity in our community, and we can do this by getting vaccinated to prevent getting or spreading COVID-19.”

This weekend, Blue Cross joined Baton Rouge General and 100 Black Men – Baton Rouge to sponsor a mass vaccination event at Gloryland Baptist Church in North Baton Rouge. Hometown Productions produced a video news release of the March 27 event (15:13). The groups are working together on a “Get the Facts, Get the Vax” outreach campaign to help everyone feel prepared and ready to get the COVID-19 vaccine, particularly members of Black, Hispanic and minority communities. 

And, Blue Cross joins the Baton Rouge Health District and its member organizations in a COVID Safe outreach campaign. This campaign features Louisiana healthcare providers sharing their COVID-19 vaccination experiences to lead by example.   Visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana YouTube channel to see short videos with medical directors and other experts discussing COVID-19 and other health topics. Subscribe to the channel to know when new videos are added. You can also connect with Blue Cross on social media for regular updates on COVID-19 and other health topics.

For more on what Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is doing for customers during 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.