Bipartisan effort seeks to end vaccine copays for Medicare beneficiaries

A bill proposed this spring, titled the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2021, signals a bipartisan effort to expand Medicare Part D coverage to cover copays for vaccinations.

The bill would end vaccine copays for shots deemed essential by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Much of the motivation was explained by L.J. Tan, PhD, the chief strategy officer of the Immunization Action Coalition, who provided a June 15 witness testimony to legislators. Dr. Tan noted adults over 50 suffer significantly from vaccine-preventable diseases, often due to cost-based deterrence for those on Medicare.

"If we can improve those rates just a little bit, can you imagine the dent we would make in terms of morbidity and mortality for our population, but also in terms of costs to our healthcare system," said Dr. Tan during the testimony. 

Authored by Rep. Ann McLane Kuster,D-N.H., the bill is co-sponsored by 10 House Republicans and twice as many Democrats, with equal support between parties for the bill's Senate counterpart. 

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