Primary Care’s Historic Role in Vaccination and Potential Role in COVID-19 Immunization Programs

Article Figures & Data

Table 1.

Medicare Part B Fee-For-Service Billable Services and Vaccinations by Provider Type, 2017

	Total Number of Services		Unique Providers		Vaccination		Unique Vaccine Providers
Provider Type	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%
Mass immunizer	15,476,697	0.6	40,246	3.9	15,474,448	45.2	40,242	26.7
Centralized flu	6,382,129	0.3	9,793	1.0	6,382,129	18.6	9,793	6.5
Mass immunizer roster biller	8,979,771	0.4	30,144	2.9	8,978,511	26.2	30,142	20.0
Pharmacy	7,484	0.0	29	0.0	6,564	0.0	27	0.0
Public health or welfare agency	107,313	0.0	280	0.0	107,244	0.3	280	0.2
Primary care physician	315,693,224	13.1	183,475	17.8	15,834,619	46.2	77,627	51.4
Family practice	122,477,653	5.1	81,809	7.9	7,704,970	22.5	41,777	27.7
General practice	6,989,241	0.3	4,943	0.5	198,196	0.6	1,264	0.8
Geriatric medicine	2,442,902	0.1	1,811	0.2	87,031	0.3	478	0.3
Internal medicine	183,783,428	7.6	94,912	9.2	7,844,422	22.9	34,108	22.6
NP/PA/CCNS	102,676,780	4.3	171,180	16.6	1,592,519	4.7	20,861	13.8
Certified clinical nurse specialist	949,837	0.0	1,979	0.2	3,897	0.0	40	0.0
Nurse practitioner	63,649,600	2.6	104,098	10.1	1,198,546	3.5	15,391	10.2
Physician assistant	38,077,343	1.6	65,103	6.3	390,076	1.1	5,430	3.6
Clinical laboratory	314,641,419	13.1	2,838	0.3	126	0.0	3	0.0
Other	1,662,710,608	69.0	635,172	61.5	1,364,870	4.0	12,161	8.1
Total	2,411,198,729	100	1,032,911	100	34,266,581	100	150,894	100

CCNS = certified clinical nurse specialist; NP = nurse practitioner; PA = physician assistant.
Note: Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Public Use, 2017; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Provider Payment Enumeration System, August 2017 Quarter 3 Update.

Table 2.

Vaccination Visits by Provider Type in Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2013-2017

Provider Type	Vaccination Visits No., Weighted (%)
Primary care physicians	37,332,602 (53.6)
Family medicine	13,618,734 (19.5)
Internal medicine	2,971,356 (4.3)
Pediatrics	20,664,522 (29.6)
Geriatrics	77,990 (0.1)
NP/PA	15,584,875 (22.4)
Non-primary care physician	7,859,141 (11.3)
Other nonphysician	8,934,141 (12.8)
Total	67,299,316 (100)