Medicare, Medicaid Will Cover COVID-19 Booster Shots, CMS Says
- October 01, 2021
Medicare will cover COVID-19 booster shots and their administration without cost sharing, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said September 24.
Nearly all Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance beneficiaries also receive coverage of COVID-19 vaccines at no cost. Most commercial health plans likewise cover COVID-19 vaccines without cost sharing, CMS noted.
“The Biden-Harris Administration has made the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines accessible and free to people across the country. CMS is ensuring that cost is not a barrier to access, including for boosters,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “CMS will pay Medicare vaccine providers who administer approved COVID-19 boosters, enabling people to access these vaccines at no cost.”
The Food and Drug Administration last week authorized a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine six months after the two-dose regimen for certain high-risk populations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also endorsed a broad group of eligibility categories for the Pfizer-BioNTech booster, including individuals in high-risk institutional and occupational settings like health care workers.