The vaccine for Covid-19 is becoming more widely available and supply will increase in the weeks and months to come. Central Rivers AEA is working closely with local public health officials and we are optimistic that staff will be included as essential workers and able to receive the vaccine in the near future.
We are beginning to hear from county health departments that are ready to begin vaccinating some of our staff based on their role. (For instance, OT, PTs, SLPs, and Audiology staff may be considered medical staff and vaccinated earlier.) It’s important to note that county health departments make the decisions about who receives the vaccine and when. However, to ensure that we are in the best position possible to respond quickly when vaccines are available, we are asking all of our staff to respond to this survey by January 12.
The vaccine will not be required but is highly encouraged. The CDC is a great resource for information regarding the safety and effectiveness of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The vaccine component will be paid by the federal government; however, the administration of the vaccines will be charged to insurance. There will be no employee cost share to insured staff as Central Rivers AEA’s insurance plan will pay 100% of the administration expenses. The agency will reimburse mileage for employees that need to travel to a location that is outside of their school assignments to receive the vaccine.
COVID-19 tests and related services will continue to process with no employee cost share. Central Rivers AEA’s insurance plan will pay 100% of the expenses. Please note that this is only for testing completed through doctors’ offices/medical facilities and does not include services like Test Iowa, which does not bill insurance.