Medi-Cal will now reimburse physicians for hepatitis A/B combo vaccine administered to high-risk patients age 19 or older. High-risk patients are:

• Those who receive injections of blood or other blood factor products, either for medical treatment or through occupational exposure
• Individuals with chronic liver disease or who have had a liver transplant
• Users of illegal drugs (injectable and noninjectable)
• Men having sex with other men
• Individuals who have come in contact with blood, body fluids, feces, sewage, or live hepatitis A or B virus
• People who work in high-risk environments, such as day care centers, hemodialysis units, drug and alcohol treatment centers, correctional facilities, and places where emergency medical assistance is rendered

Physicians can bill Medi-Cal for hepatitis A/B combo vaccine administered to high-risk adults on or after December 1, 2005 (CPT-4 code 90636).

Contact: Robin Flagg, 415/882-5110 or rflagg@cmanet.org.