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BCMS NEWS

WE NEED YOUR HELP

TO ENSURE A HEALTHY FUTURE FOR CHILDREN IN TEXAS

The state of Texas has participated in the Federal Vaccines for If you are not enrolled in TVFC, please consider doing
Children Program (VFC) since its inception in 1994. Our version so. The process is simple:
of this program is called Texas Vaccines for Children Program • complete online policy and practice training
(TVFC). The program was initiated by the passage of the Omnibus • receive free technical assistance
Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. This legislation guaranteed that • fill out a Provider Agreement
vaccines would be available at no cost to providers in order to im- • agree to screen for eligibility
munize eligible children (birth – 18 years of age). Texas leads the • agree to maintain screening records, and agree to maintain vaccine
nation in the number of uninsured and underinsured children. We safety and inventory.
also have more than three million Texas children on Medicaid (Fed-
eral Fiscal Year 2018 data). Many of these children are not receiving Under TVFC, children (birth – 18 years of age) in these
the complete series of immunizations required to protect them from groups should receive free vaccines:
• Medicaid eligible
vaccine-preventable diseases. Today, more than 9,000 Texas
providers in more than 3,000 clinics are enrolled in TVFC. We invite • Does not have health insurance
• Is American Indian or Alaskan native
you to join them by enrolling. By enrolling in TVFC, you can pro-
vide innumerable benefits to families in your practice and to the • Enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and
the provider bills CHIP for the services
people of Texas. One of the most important benefits is removing • Is underinsured: has commercial (private) health insurance, but
barriers to immunizations; for example, you will no longer have to
does not cover vaccines; health insurance only covers select vac-
refer an uninsured child to a public health clinic for immunizations. cines (TVFC eligible for noncovered vaccines only)
TVFC removes the burden of the financial cost of vaccines,
thereby eliminating the need to refer clients. Children are then kept Questions?
in their “medical home,” which is beneficial to the provider and To contact DSHS:
client. Families who are currently paying for vaccinations may be (800) 252-9152 or email TVFCenrollment@dshs.texas.gov
TVFC eligible. Vaccines are supplied to enrolled clinics at no cost.
A TVFC-enrolled clinic may not charge for the vaccine, but is per- To contact San Antonio Metropolitan Health District:
TVFC Program (210) 207-3965
mitted to charge an administration fee.
An additional benefit of joining the TVFC program is the ability Every Dose Matters.
to bill clients for an administration fee for non-Medicaid/non-CHIP With your help, we can eradicate vaccine-preventable diseases.
patients. Staff at a TVFC-enrolled site also receive free training and Enroll now. Call (800) 252-9152
education and have access to an automated vaccine ordering and TVFCenrollment@dshs.texas.gov
reporting system. They also receive support from the Texas Depart-
ment of State Health Services (DSHS) Immunization Unit staff and Resources
the City of San Antonio Health Department. Providers continue to • TVFC information for providers:
serve the same populations they have always served. Except now, http://dshs.texas.gov/immunize/tvfc/info-for-providers.aspx
through enrollment in the TVFC, more children will be receiving Includes a TVFC Provider Manual which can be found by clicking on
their complete series of immunizations. This benefits everyone by the “Forms & Publications” link in the left menu.
maintaining a higher level of immunity in our community. TVFC • TVFC website: dshs.texas.gov/immunize/tvfc
automatically covers all vaccines recommended by the Advisory • Immunization forms and literature:
Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and approved by the https://secure.ImmunizeTexasOrderForm.com
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A fully immu- • Immunization website: ImmunizeTexas.com
nized society is necessary to reach optimum eradication of vaccine- • ImmTrac2, the Texas Immunization Registry: ImmTrac.com
preventable infectious diseases. With your help we can reach these Consolidates patients’ immunization records in one centralized electronic sys-
goals, leading to a healthier Texas. tem and provides online access to patients’ immunization histories.

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