Immunizations: how to protect patients and the bottom line.

JAMIE LOEHR, MD, FAAFP Immunizations are a common health care need for patients, but they also have become a common source of financial concern for practices. I often hear physicians say that the profits are too small to justify the cost and effort associated with offering them – or that immunizations have actually become a money loser – and that they cannot continue to provide them. However, my practice of three physicians and two nurse practitioners enjoys steady revenue from immunizations, with vaccine reimbursement sometimes exceeding that for the rest of the visit. About 35 percent of our patients are younger than 18 years old, but we also have a large number of patients who are older than 65 as well as families we have treated for four generations. In this article, I will suggest ways that you too can provide the nationally recommended immunizations and improve your practice’s financial viability at the same time.