Government Warns Doctors and Insurers: Don't Bill for COVID Vaccines
By Sarah Kliff
Federal officials have sent a letter to COVID-19 vaccination providers and insurers reminding them they cannot bill patients for COVID-19 vaccines. "We recognize that there are costs associated with administering vaccines — from staff trainings to vaccine storage," wrote Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra, in a letter to pharmacists, physicians, hospitals, and insurers. "For these expenses, providers may not bill patients but can seek reimbursement through Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or other applicable coverage." Billing patients for the vaccines, Becerra said, could result in state or federal "enforcement actions." Federal stimulus legislation last spring prohibits insurers from charging patients either co-payments or deductibles for COVID-19 vaccines, and it established a fund to cover the costs of vaccinating individuals without insurance.
Furthermore, the contracts providers and hospitals signed to receive vaccines stipulate that vaccinators may not bill patients for the service. The strong consumer protections have largely been successful; however, a few patients have been charged illegally, with some reporting fees ranging from $20 to $850, according to a New York Times project on surprise charges for testing, treatment, and vaccination. The HHS Office of the Inspector General said earlier this year it was "aware of complaints by patients about charges by providers when getting their COVID-19 vaccines." The new HHS reminder comes in response to concerns by some unvaccinated individuals that they could be charged for the vaccine. Approximately a third of unvaccinated adults surveyed said they were not certain whether the COVID-19 vaccine was covered by insurance or not, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported recently.
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