Who Pays For The COVID-19 Vaccine? 5 Things To Know

ACROSS AMERICA — As COVID-19 vaccination efforts continue across the country, people who are awaiting their chance to get vaccinated have many questions, including whether they have to pay for the vaccine and how they might be covered if they do not have medical insurance.

Here are five things you need to know about the cost of the vaccine.

1. Who pays for the vaccine?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to everyone who lives in the United States.

Vaccine providers can be reimbursed for vaccine administration fees by patients' public or private insurance companies, or by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Provider Relief Fund for uninsured patients.

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2. Can I be denied a vaccine if I don’t have insurance?

No one can be denied a vaccine if they are unable to pay a vaccine administration fee, according to the CDC.

Andy Slavitt, senior adviser to the White House COVID-19 Response Team, said in President Joe Biden’s exclusive op-ed on Patch that vaccination access equity is a key component of the national COVID-19 vaccination strategy.

“We want to prevent disparities based on race, gender or income, and making the vaccine free is key to that,” Slavitt said.

If passed by Congress, the American Rescue Plan has funds to ensure the vaccine is free for everyone — whether you have insurance or not, Slavitt said.

3. What if I have Medicare?

Medicare patients will not pay a deductible or co-payment for the COVID-19 vaccine. Medicare patients are advised to bring their Medicare cards to their vaccine appointment for billing purposes. Patients will need to bring their Medicare card even if they are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan.

Medicare will also cover COVID-19 tests, COVID-19 antibody tests and COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments.

Medicare patients are warned to be aware of potential vaccine-related scams, including situations in which they are asked for their Medicare number in order to get early access to the vaccine. Officials warn Medicare patients that they cannot pay to have their names put on the list for a vaccine or to get early access — so if they are asked to pay for such access, they should be aware it is a scam.

For more information, visit medicare.gov.

4. Does my immigration status affect my ability to get the vaccine?

On Feb. 1, the Department of Homeland Security released a statement in support of equal access to vaccines for undocumented immigrants in the United States.

“It is a moral and public health imperative to ensure that all individuals residing in the United States have access to the vaccine,” the agency said in the statement. “DHS encourages all individuals, regardless of immigration status, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once eligible under local distribution guidelines.”

Currently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is working to establish vaccine sites for this population. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will not conduct immigration-related enforcement at these sites, according to the department.

5. What is the American Rescue Plan, and how does it impact me?

President Biden’s American Rescue Plan includes investing $20 billion to develop a national vaccination program that will partner with states, localities, tribes and territories, and will include launching community vaccination sites and mobile vaccination units for areas that are difficult to reach.

Read More: How We'll End The Coronavirus Pandemic: A Joe Biden Q&A