Eliminate cost-sharing for vaccines covered by Medicare Part D
PAN’s POSITION
Vaccine co-pays should be eliminated under Medicare Part D.
Congress, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and insurers should eliminate vaccine co-pays in the Medicare Part D program in order to make them accessible to all beneficiaries.
Why vaccine co-pays should be eliminated in Medicare Part D
Older adult vaccination rates remain low. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 50,000 adults die annually from vaccine-preventable diseases. Treatment for these preventable illnesses is estimated to have cost the Medicare program $106 billion from 2016 to 2018.
Although many Part D plans cover vaccines, they usually require co-pays. The higher the co-pays, the more likely it is that patients will forgo the vaccine.
Act now
No one should go without a vaccine because of cost, especially seniors. Stand up for seniors’ vaccine access!
