This article was posted on WKAR.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive directive Wednesday that could lay the groundwork for the state to broaden access to the COVID-19 vaccine, despite new federal restrictions.
The directive instructs state health and insurance officials to issue “guidance to providers, pharmacists and the public regarding the safety and efficacy” of the shot “for all appropriate populations,” and to remove “barriers to vaccine access to ensure COVID-19 vaccines remain widely available in Michigan.”
Whitmer’s directive also says state officials should ensure “to the extent possible that all health insurance plans” under state authority cover the vaccine.
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is scheduled to meet this week, where it’s expected to issue recommendations that could mean insurers are no longer required to cover the shot. ACIP’s recommendations also determine which immunizations are covered by the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, which provides free vaccines to kids who couldn’t otherwise afford them. About 50% of kids in the U.S. are eligible for the program.
States like New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin and Minnesota have already issued sweeping orders authorizing the shots to virtually anyone who wants it, in direct defiance of the FDA’s guidance. Massachusetts’ governor is also requiring insurers to cover vaccines recommended by the state health department (though experts say states have limited authority over certain types of insurers.)
Whitmer’s directive takes a “more measured” approach, says Michigan’s chief medical executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian.
“Rather than issuing a formal directive that doesn’t have teeth, we’re working with these partners again to ensure the same common outcome that we are all looking for, and that is to protect the health of Michigan residents.”
And this “was just the beginning,” Bagdasarian said. “This executive directive is a directive to state agencies to start taking action. So you’re going to see that action taking place in the next days to weeks. So stay tuned. There is more to come.”