Does Medicare Pay For Shingles Immunization

Sadly the answer to this question is no unless you have a prescription plan.

Does medicare pay for shingles immunization.

What shingles vaccines are available. However if you re enrolled in a medicare prescription drug plan part d or have a medicare advantage plan part c that includes drug coverage your shot may be covered. Anyone who has ever had chicken pox can later come down with shingles. Medicare requires part d plans to cover the shingles vaccine so if you re enrolled in part d you shouldn t have difficulty obtaining the shot.

Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful rash according to the mayo clinic. The shingles shot is not be covered by medicare part a or part b. Most require a copayment which can vary widely from plan to plan. Contact your medicare drug plan for more information about coverage.

Original medicare doesn t cover the shingles vaccine but medicare part d generally does cover it. However there are other medicare plans that may cover at least part of the costs. Medicare part b covers a small handful of vaccines for the flu hepatitis b and the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine. Unlike other vaccines it can only be covered by medicare prescription drug plans part d.

Generally medicare prescription drug plans part d cover all commercially available vaccines like the shingles shot needed to prevent illness. While original medicare medicare part a and part b does not cover the shingles vaccine called shingrix some medicare advantage plans and some medicare part d plans may offer coverage for the vaccine. Thus you have to enroll in a medicare advantage plan or a stand alone part d drug plan to cover the costs. Original medicare parts a and b does not pay for the shingles vaccine.

Medicare part a hospital insurance or medicare part b medical insurance doesn t cover the shingles shot.