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Patients Billed Up to $190 for COVID-19 Shots That Insurance Plans Are Required to Cover

HeadlineSep 21, 2023

The White House says it will once again allow U.S. households to order free COVID-19 tests through the mail, as disease experts warn of a likely surge of winter infections. This comes as the Biden administration’s rollout of an updated COVID vaccine is off to a rocky start, with widespread reports of shipping delays and gaps in health insurance coverage for the shots. Some patients report they were charged up to $190 per shot at pharmacies, even though most private health insurance plans — along with Medicare or Medicaid — are required to pay the full cost of the vaccinations. Previously the U.S. government purchased COVID-19 shots from manufacturers and offered them to all U.S. residents for free.

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