In this commentary for Barron’s, KFF’s Cynthia Cox and Jennifer Kates explore what will happen with costs to COVID-19 vaccines for people with and without insurance once the relevant public health emergency ends on May 11.
Category: Vaccines
Era of ‘Free’ Covid Vaccines, Test Kits, and Treatments Is Ending. Who Will Pay the Tab Now?
Insurers, employers, and taxpayers will all be affected as drug manufacturers move these products to the commercial market.
Public Health Agencies Turn to Locals to Extend Reach Into Immigrant Communities
Local health departments combat disparities by funding immigrant and minority community groups and letting them decide how best to spend the money.
‘We Ain’t Gonna Get It’: Why Bernie Sanders Says His ‘Medicare for All’ Dream Must Wait
As he takes the reins of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, the independent from Vermont and implacable champion of “Medicare for All” maps out his strategy for negotiating with Republicans — and Big Pharma.
A Technicality Could Keep RSV Shots From Kids in Need
The Vaccines for Children program, which buys more than half the pediatric vaccines in the U.S., may not cover the RSV shot for babies because it’s not technically a vaccine.
The End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: Details on Health Coverage and Access
On Jan. 20, 2023, the Biden Administration announced it will end the public health emergency (and national emergency) declarations on May 11, 2023. This policy watch provides an overview of how health care coverage and access will and won’t change when…
FDA Experts Are Still Puzzled Over Who Should Get Which Covid Shots and When
A single booster seems to prevent death and hospitalization in most people, but protection from the current vaccines wanes within months. FDA experts say they need to know more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decide the best long-term strategy.
Florida Gov. DeSantis Falsely Claims Bivalent Booster Boosts Chances of Covid Infection
Experts say the Florida governor’s conclusion could not be drawn from the study he cited, adding that the research focused on health care workers, who are likelier to be exposed to covid and more likely to be vaccinated. Those findings should not be applied to the general public.
Latino Teens Are Deputized as Health Educators to Sway the Unvaccinated
Some community health groups are training Latino teens to conduct outreach and education, particularly in places where covid vaccine fears linger.
Public Health Agencies Try to Restore Trust as They Fight Misinformation
As public health departments work on improving their message, the skepticism and mistrust often reserved for covid-19 vaccines now threaten other public health priorities, including flu shots and childhood vaccines.
