Vaccine hesitancy may be one of the contributing factors if the United States does not reach herd immunity to the virus that causes COVID-19. Such hesitancy presents itself in different ways and forms, ranging from outright refusal in conservative rural areas to fears in communities of color, to skepticism of science elsewhere.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Patricia Salber, MD, MBA, of The Doctor Weighs In, has a conversation with Abner Mason, the founder and CEO of ConsejoSano, a patient engagement firm working with diverse, multicultural, multilingual populations through at-risk providers, health plans, government programs, employers, and other partners.

The two discuss the importance of relationship building and trust building and understanding where people are coming from when they have the opinions and beliefs that they hold. They also discuss the role of health plans in COVID-19 vaccinations and how payers and partners can work on upstream issues to address other care gaps.