UNO Health Services is now offering the Zostavax vaccine to its employees. Zostavax is a vaccine that can help prevent Shingles in adults 50 years of age or older. If you’ve ever had chicken pox you could get Shingles now. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox.

A limited number of doses of this vaccine are available in Health Services. If you have money left over in your Blue Cross Blue Shield wellness and preventative care account this may be a way to use it up.

The criteria for the Zostavax vaccine to be given to you in Health Services are:

1. You must be 50 years of age or older to receive the vaccine.
2. You will need to get a valid written order from your physician to have the vaccine administered. If needed, Health Services can assist you with getting the order from your physician.
3. If you have had a recent outbreak of shingles, you must wait at least 6 months before receiving the vaccine.
4. If you have recently received a Pneumovax vaccination, you must wait at least 4 weeks before receiving the Zostavax vaccine.

Talk with your health care provider about your risk for Shingles and how the Zostavax vaccine can help protect you.

The cost of the vaccine is $210. Payment can be done by several ways.

Cash pay: cash, credit card, Mav card or payroll deduction

Insurance: If you have any one of these 5 insurance companies listed we can bill your insurance. Blue Cross blue Shield (BCBS), Coventry, United Health Care, Midland’s Choice and Aetna.

If you have BCBS insurance through UNO, your vaccine costs comes out of you annual preventative care allowance.

You had $250 annual preventative care allowance ($300 if you completed the online Health Risk Appraisal (HRA) in 2010) to use for this calendar year. This allowance can only be used for wellness and preventative care. Examples are annual well women’s or well men’s exam, women’s PAP test, immunizations, health fair lab work, cardiac stress test and hearing test.

You will lose the opportunity to use any remainder allowance for 2011 if not used by 12/31/2011. If you want to know how much wellness and preventative care allowance money you have left for 2011 call BCBS at 1-888-592-8963.

On January 1, 2012 you will once again have $250 wellness and preventative care allowance to use for 2012 or $300 if you completed the HRA this year.