The World 051921

Kinney Drugs Opens COVID Appointments for those Age 12+
and Introduces Exclusive “Comfort Vaccination Experience”
with Buzzy® the Vaccination Bee
Kinney Drugs, a leading pharmacy chain in New York and
Vermont, has opened appointments for those age 12+ consistent
with recent CDC ACIP recommendations. In addition, the
100% employee-owned company is introducing an exclusive
“comfort vaccination experience” through a partnership with
Pain Care Labs.
Kinney’s Pharmacists have been specially trained in immunization
comfort techniques and take the “sting” out of shots
with Buzzy® the Vaccine Bee. Buzzy® is a patented bumble
bee-shaped device that simultaneously applies ice and vibration
to desensitize before the injection as well as distract and
disrupt pain transmission during the poke itself for a dramatically
more comfortable experience. Buzzy was designed to
help children and adults who have needle fear and/or sensitivity
and is only available from Kinney Drugs Pharmacists.
“We have used Buzzy® effectively in clinical settings such
as pediatric flu clinics with excellent patient response.
Clinically, Buzzy® uses natural ‘gate control’ pain relief by
confusing the body’s own nerves, thereby dulling or even
eliminating sharp pain. When nerves receive non-painful signals
such as vibration or cold, the brain ‘closes the gate’ on
Hannaford Donates $50,000 to Support Mental Health
Awareness and Resources In Vermont
Hannaford and the Hannaford Charitable Foundation jointly
announced a $50,000 donation to the National Alliance on
Mental Illness (NAMI) of Vermont to help build a strong
network of resources for individuals affected by mental illness
or mental health challenges throughout Vermont.
The $50,000 donation will help support NAMI Vermont’s
efforts to raise awareness and conduct outreach around mental
health and illness throughout the state. NAMI Vermont provides
advocacy, education, support and public awareness to
individuals and families affected by mental illness.
The donation is one part of an overall $400,000 commitment
from Hannaford to support the work of NAMI branches
in New England and New York as they work to expand mental
health programs and services to individuals and families most
directly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, including frontline
workers, parents, young adults, and the elderly.
“Mental health is integral to the health and well-being of
our associates, our families and our communities. By raising
awareness and reducing stigma, we hope that more people
will talk about their mental health experiences or seek help or
support,” said Nicole Devoe-Lewis, Senior Vice President of
Retail Operations and member of the Hannaford Charitable
Foundation. “We thank the National Alliance on Mental
Illness for their dedication to making affordable mental health
support more accessible to all individuals.”
In addition to using the funding to support mental health
awareness and outreach, NAMI Vermont will work to enhance
mental health services and programs throughout Vermont,
including virtual support groups and educational programs for
family members, partners and friends of individuals living
with mental illness or experiencing substance abuse.
“We are extremely grateful for Hannaford Supermarkets
and Hannaford Charitable Foundation’s invaluable donation
and partnership with NAMI Vermont,” said Laurie Emerson,
Executive Director of NAMI Vermont. “We are looking forward
to expanding our mental health resources, support and
education throughout Vermont. Hannaford’s donation will
truly make a difference to bring awareness about mental
health and let people know that they are not alone.”
The announcement coincides with a time of increased need
for mental health resources resulting from the pandemic,
which brought numerous emotional and physical challenges,
including social isolation; illness and death; job loss; and feelings
of fear and anger.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont Proposes Lower Premiums in 2022
For the first time since the inception of the Affordable Care
Act, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross) can
recommend a premium reduction. Compared with last year,
the proposal is to lower overall health insurance premiums
collected by almost one percent (-0.9%). This is the overall
rate change prior to unmerging the individual and small group
market.
This recommended rate reduction is the direct result of
Blue Cross cost containment initiatives. The sharp increases
in specialty pharmaceutical prices and higher than normal
hospital budgets approved by the Green Mountain Care Board
(GMCB) for 2022 are driving underlying increases in the
range of 7%. Our efforts to contain costs, primarily though
our new Vermont Blue Rx prescription drug program, outweigh
the combined drug and provider price increases. This
innovative prescription drug benefit service will improve the
consumer experience, drive better health outcomes and lower
costs for members, providers, and employers.
This rate reduction is not because of the impact of COVID-
19 on our health care system. Blue Cross did not include the
costs of COVID-19 in premiums. All COVID-19 testing, vaccine,
and treatment costs will continue to be covered by member
reserves until it becomes part of the normal seasonal
health cycle. We provide our customers a vast array of health
services, cost-saving initiatives, care coordination, and prescription
drug management along with active participation in
health care reform. All of these benefits come with very low
administrative costs.
This year’s rate filing is more complicated than usual
because the Vermont Legislature took a momentous step by
unmerging the pooled risk of the individual and small group
health insurance policy holders. For one year only, people
who purchase health insurance on their own and people who
are supported by their employer – businesses, non-profits and
• • •
• • •
pain. We are delighted to partner with Pain Care Labs to be
the only pharmacy in our area to offer comfort immunizations
with Buzzy®”, said Dr. Shannon Miller, Director of Patient
Outcomes for Kinney Drugs.
Patients can learn more about comfort immunization techniques
and Buzzy® the Vaccine Bee and schedule a “stingfree”
immunization at www.KinneyDrugs.com.
According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), U.S adults are experiencing elevated
adverse mental health conditions associated with Covid-19,
including increased depression and anxiety. The CDC also
found that the number of adults with recent symptoms of an
anxiety or depressive disorder increased from 36.4 to 41.5
percent; while the percentage of individuals reporting unmet
mental health care needs increased from 9.2 to 11.7 percent
between August 2020 and February 2021.
Throughout May, Hannaford associates will recognize
Mental Health Awareness Month and the importance of destigmatizing
mental illnesses by wearing green shirts and ribbons
signifying the color associated with mental health
awareness. These in-store efforts will occur in concert with a
month-long awareness campaign designed to empower leaders
and associates with the tools they need to identify and
manage mental health, wellness and safety as a community of
care.
For more information about Mental Health Awareness
Month and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, visit
www.nami.org or www.namivt.org.
About Hannaford Supermarkets
Hannaford Supermarkets, based in Scarborough, Maine,
operates 183 stores in the Northeast. Stores are located in
Maine, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and
Vermont. Hannaford employs nearly 30,000 associates.
Additional information can be found at Hannaford.com.
About the Hannaford Charitable Foundation
The mission of the Hannaford Charitable Foundation is to
invest in creating and sustaining healthy communities through
providing support to non-profit programs that focus on the
improvement of the root causes impacting the quality of life
for our neighbors, customers and associates. Founded in
1994, the Foundation has given over $14 million to organizations
in the New England region.
About NAMI Vermont
NAMI Vermont is the independent Vermont chapter of the
National Alliance on Mental Illness. We are a statewide, nonprofit,
501c3, grassroots, volunteer organization comprised of
people who live with a mental health condition, family members,
and advocates. As our mission, NAMI Vermont supports,
educates and advocates so that all communities, families,
and individuals affected by mental illness or mental
health challenges can build better lives.
municipalities with 100 employees or fewer – are separate for
the purpose of calculating their premiums. This is possible
because of the significant federal health care benefits for individuals
and families in the American Rescue Plan Act
(ARPA).
“This has been an unprecedented time with so much uncertainty,
but I am pleased that we are able to lower premiums for
our members,” said Don George, President and CEO of Blue
Cross. “Our company’s cost containment efforts and our
strong, unqualified support of unmerging the markets clearly
demonstrates our commitment to doing everything possible to
help our customers, especially this year when so many are in
need.”
When these markets are separated, the result is an unprecedented
-7.8% reduction in small employer premiums for the
2022 plan year. Vermont’s small businesses, non-profits and
municipalities are no longer spending millions each year to
subsidize the individual market. This responsibility is shifted
to the federal funds that are part of the Affordable Care Act.
There is a corresponding increase in individual premium rates
of 7.9% that is offset for most families by the new ARPA
subsidies. We are committed to helping our members transition
to direct enrollment through Vermont Health Connect in
order to obtain these benefits.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is Vermont’s only
local, not-for-profit health plan. For over 70 years, the company
has been enhancing the health and well-being of the
Vermonters by offering innovative plans to individuals,
seniors and businesses. Our employees are dedicated to developing
new ways to support high quality care and programs
and events that promote health and wellness. Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of Vermont is an independent licensee of the Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more information,
visit www.bcbsvt.com.
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May 19, 2021 The WORLD page 11
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