Article Figures & Data
Tables
- 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) NP = nurse practitioner; PA = physician assistant.
Note: Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2013-2017.
Additional Files
Supplemental Figure and Tables
Supplemental Figure and Tables
- Westfall_Supplemental.pdf -
Supplemental Figure and Tables
- Westfall_Supplemental.pdf -
The Article in Brief
Primary Care's Historic Role in Vaccination and Potential Role in COVID-19 Immunization Programs
John M. Westfall, and colleagues
Background Researchers examined the role of primary care physicians and other clinicians in delivering vaccinations in the United States. They used two main datasets to create an in-depth analysis of services delivered to Medicare patients, followed by analysis of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to determine where patients are getting vaccinated and by whom.
What This Study Found In the 2017 Medicare Part B Fee-For-Service, primary care physicians provided the largest share of services for vaccinations (46%), followed by mass immunizers (45%), then nurse practitioners/physician assistants (5%). The MEPS showed that primary care physicians provided a majority of clinical visits for vaccination (54%).
Implications
- Primary care physicians have played a crucial role in vaccination delivery to the
U.S. population, including the elderly. They are well positioned to help with administering
COVID-19 vaccinations. They are also equipped to provide clinical guidance to help
patients interpret results from COVID-19 testing and immunity determinations and can
answer vaccine questions.
- Primary care physicians have played a crucial role in vaccination delivery to the
U.S. population, including the elderly. They are well positioned to help with administering
COVID-19 vaccinations. They are also equipped to provide clinical guidance to help
patients interpret results from COVID-19 testing and immunity determinations and can
answer vaccine questions.
In this issue
Jump to section
Related Articles
Cited By...
- Meeting the challenge of vaccine hesitancy
- Integrating COVID-19 Vaccination in Primary Care Service Delivery: Insights From Implementation Research in the Philippines
- What is the role of primary care in the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out and the barriers and facilitators to an equitable vaccine roll-out? A rapid scoping review of nine jurisdictions
- Primary Cares Challenges and Responses in the Face of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights From AHRQs Learning Community
- Trust Takes Two...
- Trust Takes Two...
- Family physician practice patterns during COVID-19 and future intentions: Cross-sectional survey in Ontario, Canada
- Improving Conversations With COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitant Patients: Action Research to Support Family Physicians
- Keeping doors open: A cross-sectional survey of family physician practice patterns during COVID-19, needs, and intentions
- Perspectives of primary care physicians on acceptance and barriers to COVID-19 vaccination