US to announce plan to cover out-of-pocket costs of COVID-19 vaccines: report

The US Trump administration will this week announce a plan to cover out-of-pocket costs of COVID-19 vaccines for millions of Americans who receive Medicare or Medicaid, Politico reported late on Monday, citing four people with knowledge of the plan.

According to the plans, Medicare and Medicaid will now cover vaccines that receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The changes are expected to be announced on Tuesday or Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the report added.

The planned rule will also address other COVID-19 related issues like expanding flexibility for Medicaid patients seeking care for the coronavirus, Politico reported.

CMS did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular working hours.

Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65+ or under 65 and have a disability, no matter your income. Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have a very low income. … They will work together to provide you with health coverage and lower your costs.

Medicaid provides health coverage to low-income people and is one of the largest payers for health care in the United States.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides federal matching funds to states to provide health coverage to children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can’t afford private coverage.

The Basic Health Program (BHP) allows states an option to provide affordable coverage and better continuity of care for people whose income fluctuates above and below Medicaid and CHIP eligibility levels.