Could you be charged a fee to get a COVID-19 vaccine? Area providers say no

Administrators of the COVID-19 vaccine in the Miami Valley said a fee will not be charged to you if you choose to get a shot.

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News Center 7 looked into claims that area residents were being told they would have to pay an administrative fee once they got their COVID-19 shots.

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However, based on Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidance and according to area vaccine providers, no out-of-pocket expenses will be charged to you for your vaccinations, regardless of insurance.

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According to the CDC, vaccination providers cannot charge for the vaccine and can’t charge you directly for administration fees, copays, or coinsurance.

Additionally, vaccine recipients can’t be denied a shot when its their turn because they don’t have health insurance.

“The federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status,” CDC officials said in their vaccination FAQs.

Vaccination providers can seek reimbursement from the recipient’s insurance provider for a vaccine administration fee. However the insurance provider can’t charge the recipient the balance of the bill.

Additionally, for those who receive a shot that are uninsured, vaccine providers can seek reimbursement for administration fees through the Health Resources and Services Administration’s COVID-19 uninsured program, according to the CDC.

News Center 7 reached out to area vaccine providers for how they are handling administration fees:

• Public Health Dayton and Montgomery County: “Public Health does not charge a fee and does not bill insurance. So the vaccine and vaccination is totally free,” a spokesperson said.
• Premier Health: “Premier Health is billing both public and private insurance directly for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine.  There is no out-of-pocket co-pay, deductible, or charge directly to patients for the COVID-19 vaccine and administration,” a company spokesperson said.
• Kettering Health Network: “Kettering Health Network bills the insurance provider, either private or public, for administration fees. There are no out-of-pocket costs to the patient receiving a COVID-19 vaccine whether they are insured or uninsured,” a KHN spokesperson said.

Cox Media Group