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Reimbursement Challenges Await COVID-19 Vaccines Given Emergency Use Authorization

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

CARES Act appears to have overlooked Medicare coverage of a vaccine not granted traditional approval by US FDA. Meanwhile, other patient and provider vaccine reimbursement issues still need to be addressed by HHS and Congress to ensure widespread, affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines cleared by FDA under any pathway.  

Coronavirus_Vaccine
Uptake of COVID-19 vaccines may hinge on reimbursement policy • Source: Shutterstock

The US Congress may need to tweak legislation to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries can receive COVID-19 vaccines and providers can be reimbursed for the inoculations if vaccines are granted an emergency use authorization and not a traditional approval through US Food and Drug Administration biologics license application.

It is just one of a number of coverage and reimbursement issues that lawmakers and the Health and Human Services Department must still address in order for the Trump administration to follow through with its pledge that all

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