As the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more widely available to groups across the US, it’s important to know the information related to vaccine cost and what you can expect when you receive your vaccine.
“Centura Health is proud to be able to offer the COVID-19 vaccination to our communities, and we are committed to sharing the most up-to-date and accurate information as more knowledge about the vaccine and its cost becomes available” said Mark Carley, President of Managed Care, Centura Health. “Many questions have arisen regarding the cost of the vaccine and how it is billed to insurance companies for recipients receiving the vaccine, and we want to provide our communities with information that will guide them in making the right choice about the vaccine for themselves and their families without worrying about cost.”
Is the vaccine really free?
The vaccine is free of charge for every American who wants one — no matter which company made it, what type of health insurance you have, or even if you don’t have coverage at all.
You shouldn’t have to pay a vaccine administration fee or any other extra charge. The federal government has arranged to buy the vaccine and send it to health care providers and clinics, and those receiving it must agree to inoculate people without charging them.
If the vaccine is free to recipients, who is paying for it?
The US federal government is responsible for providing the vaccine to all Americans and has invested $10 billion in research, production, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. The vaccines are free to the public under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law in March 2020, as well as several other laws.
If you’re covered under Medicare or Medicaid, your vaccine will be paid for by State and Federal programs.
If you have commercial insurance and receive the vaccine from an in-network provider, you won’t have out-of-pocket costs.
If you have commercial insurance and receive the vaccine from an out-of-network provider, you won’t have to worry about balance billing or surprise billing when getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Wherever you get it, you won’t have out-of-pocket costs. That means if you go to a pharmacy or doctor’s office when it’s your turn for a vaccine, you won’t have the extra hassle of finding out ahead of time if it’s in your insurer’s network.
If you don’t have insurance, your vaccine is still covered. Health care providers who vaccinate you can be reimbursed through the Provider Relief Fund. The fund is a pool of money the government distributed to support health care workers and hospitals on the frontlines of the pandemic.
Is there any way I would receive a bill?
As more vaccines become available and more priority groups receive access to them, one possible way you could get a bill is if you get a COVID-19 vaccine as part of a doctor’s office visit that you attend for multiple reasons — but the bill will be for seeing the doctor, not for the vaccine itself.
For example, if you seek advice about your cholesterol level or shoulder pain while you also get a vaccine, your visit will require more than just vaccination. Then you likely will have to pay for the visit, such as a regular copay or coinsurance if you have coverage, but not for the COVID-19 vaccine itself or its associated administration fee.
In the event you get a bill for the COVID-19 vaccine in error, contact your health insurer, or your health care provider if you’re uninsured, and explain the issue.
