Months after a fox bit him on Capitol Hill, Rep. Ami Bera, MD, of California introduced legislation aimed at lowering the cost of post-exposure prophylaxis rabies shots for uninsured Americans.
The price of rabies vaccination can range between $1,200 and $6,500, and although Dr. Bera could afford it after the incident in April, he said in a Sept. 28 statement that "the costs of treatment would break [uninsured people's] banks."
Dr. Bera's bill, the Affordable Rabies Treatment for Uninsured Act, proposes building a reimbursement program for healthcare providers who administer rabies PEP to uninsured individuals. About 60,000 people receive PEP after potential rabies exposure each year, according to the CDC.