FL

Document ID: CMS-2011-0063-0006
Document Type: Public Submission
Agency: Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services
Received Date: May 04 2011, at 12:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Date Posted: May 10 2011, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Start Date: May 4 2011, at 12:00 AM Eastern Standard Time
Comment Due Date: July 5 2011, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time
Tracking Number: 80c3f594
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This is comment on Proposed Rule

Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Influenza Vaccination Standard for Certain Medicare and Medicaid Participating Providers and Suppliers

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I manage a physician office and while I absolutely agree with vaccinating as many people as possible, this is a dilemma for our office. Vaccine is difficult for us to get and because so many pharmacies, fire stations and independents are now giving the vaccine, we have no idea how much vaccine to order. Cost is a big issure. We are a small family practice office but with so many of our patients getting the vaccines elsewhere it leaves us at a great disadvantage in ordering and tracking whether our patients are being vaccinated. Consequently, we limit the number of vaccines we order and give them on a first come first serve basis. We cannot afford to be left at the end of the flu season with vaccines that we can not use and have had to purchase. It seems that Physicians who should be the first to receive are very often the last to receive the amount of vaccine available to purchase.