Will medicare cover a Coronavirus Vaccine? It depends. The coronavirus pandemic is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and disrupting life, including right here on Cape Cod. One way to combat Covid-19 is developing an effective vaccine but
Medicare covers vaccines in a variety of ways, depending on the vaccine.
Medicare may or may not cover the cost of a coronavirus vaccine.
It may be through Medicare Part B, Medicare Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan if you are enrolled in one. Part B covers vaccines only for certain illnesses: flu, pneumonia, and Hepatitis B (if you are at medium or high risk). Medicare covers 100 percent of the cost of these vaccines if you go to an approved provider, and you do not have to pay a deductible or coinsurance. Medicare Advantage is also required to provide these vaccines at no additional costs.
Part B also covers vaccines if you are exposed to a dangerous virus or disease, such as rabies or tetanus. In those cases, you will have to pay a deductible and a 20 percent coinsurance.
Part D covers all other doctor-recommended vaccines, such as the shingles vaccine and the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccine. How much the vaccine costs will depend on whether you go to a provider who is in-network for your Part D plan. If you get the vaccine in-network, you will have to pay the co-pay amount. If you get the vaccine out-of-network, you may have to pay for the entire vaccine and bill Medicare. Medicare will only pay for the approved cost, which may be less than what you paid. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan that covers prescription drugs, it may cover these vaccines. The cost to you will vary, depending on the plan.
With regard to COVID-19, originally the CARES Act provided that if a vaccine becomes available, Medicare is required to cover this vaccine under Part B with no cost sharing. Medicare Advantage plans are required to include the basic coverage offered by Medicare Parts A and B, so this coverage also applies to beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans.
While Medicare would cover a coronavirus vaccine approved through normal channels, if the Food and Drug Administration approves the vaccine through an emergency use authorization (EUA), Medicare will not cover it unless the government acts.
However, it is possible that the federal government will authorize the use of the vaccine through an EUA, which is a faster method of approving drugs needed in a crisis situation, like the coronavirus pandemic. Medicare does not cover costs of vaccines approved under EUAs.
In order to ensure that the vaccine is free, the government will need to act. One option is that Congress could change the language in the CARES Act to ensure coverage. In addition, doses purchased by the federal government will be free of charge.
