CMS: States must cover COVID-19 vaccine counseling for children in Medicaid

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today began requiring state Medicaid programs to cover counseling visits at which health care providers talk with families about COVID-19 vaccination for their children. CMS said it will consider COVID-19 vaccine counseling visits provided to children under age 21 through the Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment benefit as COVID-19 vaccine administration, for which state expenditures can be federally matched at 100% under the American Rescue Plan Act. CMS said it also will begin requiring states to cover stand-alone vaccine counseling visits related to all pediatric vaccines under the EPSDT benefit. 

“By supporting conversations between families and health care providers and answering parents’ questions, we can connect more children to effective vaccines,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure.