Available data suggest a need to educate certain Medicare providers about repeating pneumococcal vaccinations more often than recommended, the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) found based on its review of beneficiary records.
The data also suggest that 43% percent of the unnecessary vaccinations could be reduced through providers’ review of the medical history of established patients. “Tools, such as electronic medical records, may assist in this effort,” the
June 24 report states.
Current vaccination recommendations followed by Medicare say that individuals without immunocompromising medical conditions should receive a single pneumococcal vaccination at the age of 65 years or older and that individuals with immunocompromising conditions should receive a second vaccination five years after their first, OIG notes. If beneficiaries are uncertain of their vaccination history in the past five years, Medicare instructs providers to administer a pneumococcal vaccine anyway.
The reason for caution when repeating vaccination is the risk of an adverse reaction, the report points out. More than 1,000 adverse events were associated with the 4.6 million pneumococcal vaccinations for Medicare beneficiaries between 2007 and 2011, OIG found from reviewing all Medicare Part B claims for that period.
The search showed that 122,498 beneficiaries received multiple pneumococcal vaccinations of the same type. For beneficiaries who received repeat vaccinations of the same type, 43% received repeat vaccinations from their same providers.
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Part B News.