HHS released a COVID-19 vaccine and treatment access program April 18 in anticipation of the end of the pandemic's public health emergency, which is expected to expire May 11.
The post-PHE program is a $1.1 billion partnership between public and private entities to ensure uninsured Americans continue to have access to COVID-19 pharmaceutical products. HHS said COVID-19 vaccines should continue to be free but added that out-of-pocket costs for some treatments, such as Paxlovid and Lagevrio, might change based on someone's insurance status.
The program plans to "allow uninsured individuals to receive access to certain COVID-19 treatments, including the drugs Paxlovid and Lagevrio, from participating pharmacies with no out-of-pocket costs," the agency said. "Over the next few months, HHS will establish new contractional relationships with pharmacies, so that this component of the program could be launched sometime this fall. The goal is to include not only large pharmacy chains, but also smaller, local chains and independently owned pharmacies."
Click here to learn four other changes in pharmacies after the PHE ends.