Once approved, the Trump administration will cover COVID-19 vaccinations at no cost to Medicare beneficiaries. On Wednesday, CMS released an interim rule seeking to remove regulatory barriers for seniors to get the vaccine which could be approved by early next year. Medicare will pay directly for the vaccine for Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in 2020 and 2021 but would not be responsible for reimbursing providers to administer the vaccine during this time. CMS is also requiring that private health plans cover recommended vaccines with no cost-sharing using Medicare's payment rates as a guideline. Read more here.
(Source: Robert King; Fierce Healthcare; 10/29/20)
