Will Medicare Cover New Shingles Vaccine

Original medicare part a and part b does not cover the shingles vaccination but medicare part d does.

Will medicare cover new shingles vaccine.

Surprisingly original medicare parts a and b doesn t cover the shingles vaccine even though it covers other vaccines like the flu vaccine and pneumonia shot. Generally medicare prescription drug plans part d cover all commercially available vaccines like the shingles shot needed to prevent illness. Medicare coverage for shingrix and zostavax the two commercially available shingles vaccines is provided only if you are enrolled in a stand alone part d drug plan or a medicare advantage plan that includes part d drug coverage. On the other hand medicare part d or a medicare advantage plan that includes part d coverage typically does cover the vaccine.

Medicare part b covers a small handful of vaccines for the flu hepatitis b and the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine. The devil is in the details. Medicare part a hospital insurance or medicare part b medical insurance doesn t cover the shingles shot. 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.

Medicare requires part d plans to cover the shingles vaccine so if you re enrolled in part d you shouldn t. Original medicare part a hospital coverage and part b medical coverage doesn t cover the shingles vaccine. However there are other medicare plans that may cover at least part of the costs.