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low-income neighborhoods and communities of color have been hardest hit by the pandemic.But now, several of those clinics say they’re— right when vaccines might be rolled out for kids under five.
My colleague Jackie Fortiér reports that the problem stems from a federal funding glitch, which left clinics without reimbursement for administering vaccines to people who receive Medicaid.“We've done 425,000 vaccinations, and we haven't been paid for any of those who are on Medi-Cal,” Jim Mangia, CEO of St. John’s Well Child and Family Center, told Jackie. St. John’s deployed mobile clinics and pop-up clinics in addition to offering services at their brick-and-mortar locations.
Carlos Vaquerano, CEO of Clinica Romero in Pico Union-Westlake, said his facility had the same problem. “We have vaccinated people, and we haven’t received any money.”The amount of money owed to each clinic is substantial; Mangia estimates that St. John’s is waiting for more than $6.5 million.In April, federal health authorities are expected to review the data on vaccinated children under age 5. Mangia said that St.