Blue Shield, California insurer has agreed to help the state more than double its weekly COVID-19 vaccinations by early March through a new partnership that went into effect on Monday.
The 55-page contract published on Monday is priced at $ 15 million, with Blue Shield responsible for developing and managing a state vaccine network as a third-party administrator for equitable and efficient implementation. Governor Gavin Newsom said earlier that the new state vaccine distribution system will pay suppliers to offer vaccines in vulnerable neighborhoods and black communities, while collecting demographic data about who is getting the vaccines.
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The move comes as counties continue to face vaccine supply problems, with Los Angeles closing some vaccination sites, while others have opened elsewhere, suggesting a bumpy launch.
“At Blue Shield of California, our goal is to work closely with each county, its public health leaders and state officials to build a vaccine network that is limited only by the number of vaccines we receive,” said Paul Markovich, president and chief executive officer, Blue Shield of California, in a statement published Tuesday.
Markovich said the state will determine the vaccine’s eligibility, priority and allocations, although the contract mentions that the insurer will recommend algorithms for the government to adopt, with an equitable focus on allocation and naming priorities. Fox News requested comments from Blue Shield.
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In a statement shared with Fox News, the state said it hired Blue Shield of California because it has “network management expertise” and a PPO network that covers more than 63,000 doctors and nearly 400 hospitals. The network covers all counties in the state and, according to the statement, “is the only health plan in California Covered that has a PPO network covering all residential postal codes in the state.”
Among other goals outlined in the contract, Blue Shield will help the state achieve 3 million vaccinations a week by March 1, increasing to 4 million a week by the end of April.
State data show that more than 6.1 million vaccines have already gone to arms, out of about 8 million vaccines delivered to the state. Data compiled by the Los Angeles Times suggest a seven-day average of more than 176,000 vaccines administered daily, putting the March 1 target at more than twice the current vaccination rate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.