What to Do If You Receive a Bill for the COVID-19 Vaccine
COVID vaccines are free during the US period. The CDC has been very clear on this , but we still hear occasional reports of people receiving a bill for their vaccine or being charged for the service of “administering” the vaccine. It’s illegal anyway. You do not need to pay for it, and you can report it.
What does “free” mean?
CDC says:
The federal government provides the vaccine free of charge to all people living in the United States, regardless of their immigration or health insurance status.
If you have health insurance, your vaccine provider will bill your insurance. This is why they may ask for your insurance card when making an appointment. However, if you do not have insurance, the provider may request a refund from the federal government . You, as a patient, should never receive a vaccine bill. (What’s more, COVID tests are usually paid in the same way.)
Additional fees are illegal too
Okay, so the vaccine is free, but the provider may be trying to tell you that there is a fee to administer it, or that you should pay an office visit or facility fee. This is also strictly prohibited. The CDC states that providers cannot :
- They charge a fee for the vaccine
- Charge directly from you any administration fees, copayments or co-insurance
- Deny vaccinations to anyone who is not covered by health insurance, has insufficient coverage, or is not in the network.
- Charge recipient office visit or other fees if COVID-19 vaccination is the only service provided.
- Require additional services in order for a person to receive the COVID-19 vaccine; however, additional medical services may be provided at the same time as billing, depending on the circumstances.
If you came to their office just for the vaccine, you may not be charged a fee for that visit – not even a copay. Even if the provider is offline.
(While we do this, all recommended vaccines are free on most insurance plans, even if you haven’t met your deductible.)
What to do if you receive an invoice
First, make sure you actually have an invoice and not an explanation of benefits (EOB). An EOB is a document from your health insurance company that tells you what they paid for and should have something like “This is not a bill” written somewhere on it.
If you are actually being charged for the vaccine (or for a related fee that is not allowed), contact your supplier. Remind them of the CDC rules if you need to and they should remedy the situation immediately.
If you have insurance, you can file an invoice with your insurance company for reimbursement. In most cases, this is not necessary because the provider can and should bill directly. Contact your insurer for information on how to file a claim.
If none of this works and the provider refuses to budge, you can report it to the HHS Inspector General’s office at tips.hhs.gov or by calling the hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS.