Staying Fit
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As you prepare to go to your local health center, pharmacy or even football stadium to get a COVID-19 vaccination, you'll probably need to show a current ID and health insurance card, if you have coverage. One thing you shouldn't have to bring is payment for the shot.
The coronavirus vaccine “must be provided to vaccine recipients with no out-of-pocket costs,” according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). And while the federal government is picking up the cost of the tens of millions of vaccine doses Americans across the country are getting, the doctors, nurses and other health care providers will still get paid for administering the vaccines.
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Medicare
Beneficiaries cannot be charged for the vaccine by providers who participate in the Medicare program. All copays and coinsurance payments by patients are also waived. This applies to all Medicare enrollees — whether they are enrolled in original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage private insurance plan.
Providers who participate in Medicare will receive an administrative fee for giving COVID-19 vaccine shots to patients. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has established a fee schedule for the two-dose vaccines, such as the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, that gives providers $16.94 for the first dose and $28.39 for the second. If any single-dose vaccines are authorized, Medicare will pay providers $28.39 for that shot.
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