Delaware’s Insurance Commissioner issues a bulletin to insurers to cover accelerated measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations for infants.
Trinidad Navarro’s bulletin is a response to the measles outbreak in Kent County, reminding insurers that coverage for MMR shots will include infants ages 6 through 11 months.
The standard schedule for the first set of shots is usually at 12 to 15 months with a second dose is given at 4 to 6 years of age.
Navarro says the earlier timeline was requested by doctors.
"We had received urgent requests from pediatricians specifically, in Kent County to essentially ensure that insurance companies will cover these vaccines even earlier than recommended by the CDC," said Navarro.
Navarro’s bulletin also clarifies this is statewide not just in Kent County where the measles outbreak has been confirmed, and it only applies during the outbreak. It will sunset when the Division of Public Health declares the outbreak over.
He says insurers will comply.
"Put out the bulletin to ensure that payers would not push back, and I'm happy to say that after speaking with some of the largest health insurers in the state of Delaware, they've all agreed,” said Navarro. “And I spoke to a number of pediatricians just yesterday, and they were so grateful that we, my department and DHSS, took decisive actions."
As for the measles outbreak in Delaware, as of Friday afternoon there were still 22 cases – all in Kent County – with 13 cases in adults 20 and over.
Two cases involve kids between 10 and 19 and seven are in children nine and younger.
