Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Included in Your Medical Insurance?

2020 has been a very difficult year for everyone. The COVID-19 pandemic brought all sorts of challenges in various aspects of life. Specifically, people became more concerned with their health and financial security.

The recent developments in the COVID-19 vaccine gave hope to a lot of people. So, people are turning to their medical insurance providers to ask if the vaccine and its administration are included in their plans. We’ve put together a guide to help you find answers to this question.

Medicare

Being a Medicare beneficiary guarantees that you will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine. It is common knowledge that one significant risk factor for contracting the virus is old age. Therefore, the government wanted to assure the senior population that Medicare will give them access to the vaccine as soon as it is available.

According to a 2019 statistic, 18.1% of all people in the US are covered by Medicare (including younger people with disabilities). Currently, 16% of the US population is composed of adults aged 65 and above. This means that virtually every senior American will have access to the vaccine under Medicare. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 also ensures that Medicare beneficiaries do not have to pay anything for the vaccine and its administration.

Private Health Insurance

Similarly, the CARES Act also guarantees comprehensive coverage for everyone who has non-grandfathered medical insurance plans under private providers. Non-grandfathered health plans pertain to insurance policies in effect after President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 23, 2010.

If you are under an individual or employer-sponsored health insurance plan that is effective after the previously mentioned date, you are definitely covered for a COVID-19 vaccine. Insurance providers are mandated by law to cover the full cost of the vaccine and its administration without charging extra to the beneficiary.

If you have a plan with Midwest Employee Benefits and you wish to learn more about your COVID-19 coverage, you may give us a call. Alternatively, if you want to get a quote from us for either individual or group plans, feel free to reach out to us as well.