In a continued effort to ensure cost is not a barrier to vaccine access, on September 24, 2021, CMS announced that it will pay for Medicare beneficiaries’ COVID-19 booster doses without any cost sharing. Medicare beneficiaries currently pay nothing for COVID-19 vaccines or their administration, with no applicable copayment, coinsurance or deductible. This will now also include COVID-19 booster shots following FDA’s recent authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 booster for high-risk populations.

In addition, COVID-19 booster shots will be covered for nearly all Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries with no cost sharing. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 requires coverage of COVID-19 vaccines and administration for nearly all Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries without cost sharing. This will now include COVID-19 boosters for eligible consumers of most commercial health insurance plans.

CMS’s press release can be accessed here. CMS’s COVID-19 provider toolkit can be accessed here, and CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Requirements can be accessed here.