Illinois' largest health insurers have agreed to cover administration costs related to the H1N1 flu vaccine for their policyholders, the Illinois Department of Insurance said Tuesday.
The insurers include Aetna, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, CIGNA, Health Alliance, Humana, PersonalCare, Unicare and UnitedHealthcare, according to a statement from the agency.
Many smaller insurance companies will also cover the administration costs of the H1N1 vaccine for all or most of their policyholders.
"Our concern was that some policyholders might have been deterred from getting the vaccine because of the potential cost," said DOI Director Michael McRaith. "We were pleased to learn that the companies in fact were planning to cover all costs."
The cost of the vaccine itself is being paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Both the nasal spray and injectable form of the vaccine are available. For a list of public H1N1 vaccination sites and clinic times, as well as additional information on the 2009 H1N1 flu, log onto www.ready.illinois.gov.
For non-medical questions about the H1N1 virus, call the Illinois Flu Hotline at (866) 848-2094 or (866) 241-2138 (Spanish).
