“Our focus is going to be on making sure regulations and policies are going to be focused on improving coverage,” said Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, who was sworn in on May 27.
Patients are not charged for the vaccine or the provider’s cost of administering it whether they have commercial insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or no insurance at all.
Many Americans face high out-of-pocket costs for life-saving drugs but those on Medicare are often worse off: There's no cap on coinsurance costs once they hit $6,550 in drug spending.
Dropping Medicare eligibility age to 60 from 65 would deprive hospitals of billions of dollars in revenue they now get from commercial insurance plans.
Many others are being penalized as part of federal Medicare programs that cut pay to hospitals for frequent readmission of sick patients and hospital-acquired infections.
To feel comfortable, patients need to take stock of the precautions providers are taking. This is especially true for older adults, who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19.