New COVID-19 shots could cost over $200 for uninsured Georgians
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Updated COVID-19 vaccines are now available at doctors’ offices and pharmacies throughout – although the shots could be costly for Georgians without health insurance.
According to CVS Pharmacy spokesperson Amy Thibault, the shots will cost around $201.99 for uninsured patients paying out of pocket.
Rebecca Grapevine works with Healthbeat — a nonprofit news platform reporting on public health — who says the hefty price tag may prevent hundreds of thousands of Georgia residents from accesdated COVID vaccines.
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“Up until now, the federal government had a program in place to help cover the cost of COVID vaccines for uninsured folks or people whose insurance didn’t cover the full cost,” she said. “That program has now ended.”
When September started, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially ended its Bridge Access Program, which covered the cost of COVID vaccines for uninsured and underinsured people.
With about 1 million uninsured adults under age 65, Georgia has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country.
According to CDC data, Georgia also has a low vaccination rate, with only around 17% of adults having received last year’s COVID vaccine as of May this year.
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The Georgia Department of Public Health says the state planned to purchase 4,600 updated COVID shots for underinsured and uninsured people and recently applied to the CDC for funds to cover an additional 33,540 shots.
“Our state government is stepping in to buy COVID vaccines for uninsured folks that they could get for free,” Grapevine said. “That would bring the state’s supply to around 38,140 vaccines.”
Georgian Kevette Brown couldn’t believe the cost of the COVID vaccine for those without insurance.
“Who can actually afford that in this climate?” she said. “Without insurance, I don’t see how it’s possible, especially for people living under the poverty line.”
Stephanie Sherman is a Medicare patient who recently got her COVID shot for free at a CVS.
With the free federal vaccine program out of funding, she’s concerned this could contribute to more people catching COVID.
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“We’ve already seen a rise of cases at the end of this summer,” Sherman said. “We haven’t even entered into the season where doctors think it typically increases. I think we’ll see a rise in cases.”
COVID vaccines will still be free for Affordable Care Act marketplace and Medicare enrollees.
Kids under the age of 18 should be able to acquire the vaccines for free, through Vaccines for Children.
CVS Pharmacy also added that the COVID shots should be free under most insurance plans at in-network pharmacies.
Uninsured adults in Georgia, however, will be weighing whether or not they can afford the new vaccine.
“The only other option is to reach out to your county’s board of health or find a charity clinic near you that might be able to help out,” Grapevine said.
According to the CDC data, COVID is currently causing 2.4% of all deaths in Georgia. That’s somewhere between 10-20 deaths per week.
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