WASHINGTON – Congressman Vern Buchanan today sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar urging him to ensure all seniors enrolled in Medicare receive the coronavirus vaccine for free.
“Seniors are especially vulnerable to coronavirus and should not be delayed access to a potentially life-saving vaccine based on bureaucratic red tape,” Buchanan said. “The cost of the vaccine cannot be a barrier to proper preventative treatment for our nation’s seniors.”
When Congress enacted the CARES Act in March, it explicitly stated the forthcoming vaccine would be free for all Americans, including seniors who are extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. Although Medicare does not typically cover drugs approved under emergency-use designation (which would include a COVID-19 vaccine), Buchanan urged Azar’s administration to intervene and provide such coverage.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of deaths associated with COVID-19 have been adults 65 and older, with the highest fatality rates involving persons 85 and older.
Seniors enrolled in Medicare are currently eligible for a free influenza vaccine each year. More than 44 million Americans rely on Medicare for healthcare coverage including 4.3 million in Florida.
Buchanan represents more than 225,000 seniors in the nation’s seventh-oldest congressional district.
Read the full text of the letter below:
Dear Secretary Azar:
I am writing to urge you to ensure that all senior citizens enrolled in Medicare are able to receive cost-free coronavirus vaccines as soon as the vaccine becomes available.
I was troubled by recent reports that suggested that seniors may be forced to pay a premium for this vitally necessary and potentially life-saving vaccine. When Congress enacted the CARES Act in March, it explicitly stated the forthcoming vaccine would be free for all Americans, including our seniors who are extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. Although Medicare does not typically cover drugs approved under emergency-use designation (which would include a COVID-19 vaccine), I urge your administration to intervene and provide such coverage. With more than 225,000 seniors in my district, this issue is critical to the community I represent and countless others across the nation.
The coronavirus pandemic has been an unprecedented public health challenge and the prompt distribution of safe vaccines would be a major step forward in our efforts to contain this virus. Ensuring that these vaccines are free to all, including senior citizens, is an essential component of this effort. The cost of the vaccine cannot be a barrier to proper preventative treatment for our nation’s seniors.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80 percent of deaths associated with COVID-19 have been adults 65 and older, with the highest fatality rates involving persons 85 and older. We need to protect our most vulnerable population and ensure they receive a free coronavirus vaccine.
Seniors enrolled in Medicare are currently eligible for a free influenza vaccine each year. This policy makes it easy for seniors to get annual flu shots and should be extended to the coronavirus vaccine.
With a coronavirus vaccine expected as soon as October it is imperative for the Department of Health and Human Services to take immediate action to ensure the 44 million senior citizens enrolled in Medicare can receive the coronavirus vaccine without any out-of-pocket costs.
I again urge you to ensure that all seniors are able to receive a cost-free coronavirus vaccine and look forward to your prompt reply on this timely and very important matter.
