WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Next month CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic plan to launch a flu shot voucher program for people without health insurance.
Parent company CVS Caremark Corp. said Monday that the program is being offered as part of National Immunization Awareness Month in August and its Project Health free health screening events.
Qualifying patients who attend a "Flu Voucher Fridays" Project Health event, complete the screenings and identify themselves as not having health insurance will get a voucher that can be redeemed for a flu shot at any CVS/pharmacy or MinuteClinic location this flu season, according to the company.
"CVS/pharmacy and MinuteClinic are committed to being the most convenient place to get a flu shot this season," Papatya Tankut, vice president of pharmacy professional services at CVS/pharmacy, said in a statement. "Offering flu shot vouchers to patients who may have difficulty affording a flu shot is just another way that we help people on their path to better health."
CVS/pharmacy’s Project Health (Proyecto Salud in Spanish) screenings will focus on vaccination reviews, vision acuity, glucose, blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) for individuals in multicultural communities who have difficulty accessing preventive health care services, CVS said.
In August, plans call for over 200 Project Health events to be held in 10 cities: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Project Health began in February and is expected to deliver more than $21 million of free health screenings to multicultural communities by the end of this year. The program will focus on dental hygiene in October and diabetes in November.
"Preventive care is so important, particularly when we’re talking about the yearly influenza vaccine," stated Troy Brennan, executive vice president and chief medical officer at CVS Caremark. "Project Health is a program that offers people the chance to assess their health and the health of their families and gives them the information they need to help them on their path to better health."
Project Health events are open to everyone and don’t require an appointment. Once screened, CVS/pharmacy helps patients through on-site consultations with bilingual (Spanish/English) nurse practitioners and pharmacists who analyze the results and refer patients to no-cost or low-cost medical facilities within that neighborhood or to their primary care doctor, if follow-up is required.
