$1.1B program will keep COVID-19 vaccines, treatments free for uninsured in US
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Key takeaways:
- A $1.1 billion program will maintain free access to vaccines and treatments for uninsured people.
- HHS and CDC will use existing public health infrastructure and contract with private pharmacies for distribution.
HHS announced a $1.1 billion program to keep COVID-19 vaccines and treatments free for uninsured people once the public health and national emergencies end next month in the United States.
The HHS Bridge Access Program for COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments is a public-private partnership to maintain access to COVID-19 care at pharmacies, local health centers and through other public health infrastructure for people without insurance.
Experts have expressed concern about the cost of vaccines and treatments for people without health insurance once they are commercialized and are no longer being provided for free by the federal government.
“While fighting COVID-19 remains a key public health priority for the [Biden] administration, ensuring that all Americans have continued, easy access to COVID-19 vaccinations and treatments, regardless of insurance status, is critical to that goal,” HHS said in a press release.
For people on Medicaid, vaccines will continue to be free through 2024 because of provisions in the American Rescue Plan, but experts have previously told Healio that out-of-pocket costs for antiviral treatments and various tests for SARS-CoV-2 are likely to increase for uninsured people.
When the emergencies end on May 11, HHS said most Americans “should” continue to expect no out-of-pocket fees for COVID-19 vaccines, although treatments such as Paxlovid and Lagevrio will be subject to copays or other costs for similar drugs and treatments depending on a person’s health care coverage.
HHS will purchase and distribute COVID-19 vaccines and allocate them to 64 state and local health departments, which will then distribute them to health departments and health centers for use. Additionally, the HHS Health Resources and Services Administration will directly support its networks of health centers with COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.
HHS is also funding partnerships with pharmacy chains to “enable them to continue offering free COVID-19 vaccinations and treatments to the uninsured through their network or retail locations as has been done during the COVID-19” public health emergency.
CDC plans to establish contracts with pharmacies providing a per-dose payment to facilitate vaccinations and treatments, including Paxlovid and Lagevrio, at no cost for uninsured people.
As part of the program, HHS said pharmacies will also be required to conduct outreach about vaccine availability with a focus on underserved populations. The program will be contracting with small, local and independent pharmacies, in addition to large pharmacy chains.
“Together, these efforts will create a unique public-private partnership that will help maintain uninsured individuals’ access to COVID-19 care at their local pharmacies, at their local health centers and through the public health infrastructure,” HHS said.
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