The COVID-19 vaccine is free to you, but have your insurance info ready anyway
The much-in-demand COVID-19 vaccine is free, regardless of your insurance status. No individual has to pay anything for the shot, not even a co-payment.
Still, providers administering the shot may ask if you have health insurance with a private provider, Medicare or Medicaid because they can bill your insurance company for administering the shot, said Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Even if your insurance plan does not cover the vaccine or the provider is not in your insurance network, you still will not receive a bill.
If you don’t have insurance, your vaccine is still free. Healthcare providers who vaccinate you can get reimbursed through the Provider Relief Fund, state officials said. The fund is a pool of money the federal government distributed to support health care workers and hospitals on the front lines of the pandemic.
As the supply of vaccine increases, you may be able to get the inoculation as part of a visit to the doctor’s office. In that scenario, you might be billed for visiting the doctor, but not for the vaccine.
If you are ever billed for the vaccine in error, contact your health insurer or your health provider if you are uninsured, officials advised.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is part of the federal Department of Health and Human Service, said for a COVID-19 vaccine requiring a series of two doses — such as the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Moderna vaccine — the payment for the initial dose is $16.94 and $28.39 for the second dose. That is a total of $45.39.
The agency said these rates recognize the costs involved in administering the vaccine, including the additional resources involved with required public health reporting, conducting important outreach and education, and spending additional time with patients answering any questions they may have about the vaccine.
For a vaccine appointment, public health officials recommend you bring with you a confirmation of your appointment (especially if you have a confirmation email). You should also bring identification to verify your eligibility — such as a driver’s license to verify your age — and an employee ID to verify your occupation, as well as your health insurance card if you have one.
All vaccine sites in Kentucky now operate by appointment only. There are no walk-in appointments available at any site at this time because of the limited supply, said Susan Dunlap, a spokeswoman for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
The state unveiled a new website and hotline — vaccine.ky.gov and 855-598-2246 — this week to help people determine if they are currently eligible for a vaccine and to direct them to a provider in their area. People who are hearing impaired can call 855-326-4654.
The cabinet has prepared a list of frequently asked questions about the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan and additional information about the vaccination program is available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
