Will Health Insurance Cover Vaccines?

Vaccines are one of the best ways to protect your family from serious and sometimes deadly diseases. Unfortunately, many people believe that because they have health insurance, they don’t need to worry about the cost of vaccines. 

But it’s not as simple as that. Private health insurance companies can decide whether or not to cover certain types of care like vaccines. It means that you may be able to get a vaccine for free or at a lower cost through your local public health department or community clinic. 
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Here's what you need to know about this issue and how it impacts your health and well-being.

Basic Facts About Vaccines

• Most vaccines are recommended for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. 
• Children can receive vaccines for diseases normally avoided, such as polio, measles, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and certain meningitis infections.
• For pregnant women, getting a vaccine is one way to protect the developing fetus. The type and frequency of vaccines will be different for each pregnancy. 
• Multiple vaccine brands can be recommended for the same vaccine.  
• When selecting a vaccine, it's important to discuss all the risks and benefits with your doctor. 

Vaccines and Health Insurance
Medical exemptions to vaccinations are not unique to the United States. In many countries around the world, individuals can demonstrate a religious or medical conviction against vaccination so they are not required to receive vaccines. 

In many countries, there is no legal requirement to vaccinate. It is especially the case for children, the group most likely to get vaccines that are particularly damaging to developing immune systems like the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. According to the Immunization Action Coalition, in the United States, as of 2013, 95 percent of children had completed their MMR vaccinations.

Free or Low-Cost Vaccines for Your Family
The federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program gives qualified low-income children and teens low-cost vaccines through private insurance. The VFC covers nearly 80 percent of children in the U.S. who otherwise would not be able to afford vaccines without help. 

A tax on the pharmaceutical industry funds the VFC program. But if your child does not qualify for a free or reduced-price vaccine through the VFC program, it is your responsibility to pay the full cost for vaccines and get them on time. 

Otherwise, they might not be covered by insurance, meaning you could have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket. There are several other vaccines that health insurance companies will cover, including the new Gardasil 9 vaccine for HPV.

Conclusion
As you can see, there is a lot that goes into protecting your health. To best protect yourself and your family, you need to know everything there is to know about vaccinations. With this information in hand, you can make the best choices for yourself and your family. 

At Hyde Insurance Group, we do our best to ensure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. We make sure to go the extra mile to help you with your needs. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (888) 345-1215 or Click Here to request a free quote.