COVID-19 vaccines must be covered at no cost, CMS says
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is mandating that all Americans have access to a COVID-19 vaccine, when it becomes available, at no out-of-pocket cost. The agency's interim final rule makes clear that private insurers must cover the vaccine at no charge to beneficiaries. Insurers are prohibited from charging administration costs of the vaccine, CMS Administrator Seema Verma said Wednesday. "Balance billing is strictly prohibited," she said.