A coalition of pharmacy organizations, including the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, has called for major U.S. health insurers to preserve existing vaccine coverage without increasing patient cost-sharing.
In letters sent to major insurers including UnitedHealthcare, Humana, Cigna, Kaiser Permanente and trade groups such as AHIP and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the organizations expressed concerns about the potential coverage changes following updates by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, according to a July 8 news release from the ASHP.
The groups emphasized that the scientific consensus supporting vaccinations as essential tools for disease prevention remains unchanged. In the letters, they urged insurers to cover the vaccines unless there is “clear evidence of harm or a high likelihood of adverse effects.”
“Vaccines remain one of the most effective and affordable preventive tools available, and as national health policy shifts, we will continue to advocate for coverage decisions that protect our patients and communities,” the release said.
