Central New York Pediatricians are requesting assistance from major insurers to provide them with necessary Medicare funding as they address a steep fall in office visits due to COVID-19.  Doctor Steven Blatt is the Medical Director of Upsate Pediatric and Adolescent Center. 

He says financial losses at its pediatric practices are not sustainable without financial support and necessary patient visits.

“Children with chronic illnesses who we like to see on a regular basis have not been coming in as much. We’ve been using telehealth to do some of those visits, but they don’t work for everything,” Blatt said. “So kids with asthma, maybe dermatologic issues, obesity, behavioral issues they come in much less now than they did before.”

As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, the doctors like Vito Losito of Childcare Associates says vaccinations have dropped more than 22% in the United States.  He says older kids need to maintain their vaccinations to prevent diseases from the past that could cause a mass public outbreak of cases in the future.

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"When I was a resident I saw illnesses like pneumococal meningitis, haemophilus influenzae meningitis on a regular basis," Losito said. "Children die from these things. We have vaccines for those now, but they're going to come back."

Losito adds that it's important kids from young to old see their doctors and keep up to date with immunizations and other healthcare needs.  While office visits have rebounded in his practice, he questions what practices will still be open when a COVID vaccine arrives.  That's why he and other physicians are asking for financial support from insurers because many pediatricians have had to furlough employees and they fear practices being forced to close altogether.