HHS reminds providers in COVID-19 vaccine program not to charge recipients
Health care providers participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program must administer the vaccines at no cost to recipients, the Department of Health and Human Services reminded providers and health plans in a letter yesterday.
“For uninsured and underinsured patients, providers may bill the Health Resources and Services Administration COVID-19 Uninsured and COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund programs for vaccine-related fees,” the letter notes. “If providers accidentally billed and received payments from patients for COVID-19 vaccine-related fees, those payments should immediately be returned to their patients.”
Group health plans also must cover COVID-19 diagnostic testing without cost-sharing, the letter notes