Does Medicare Cover Shingles Vaccine 2017

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.

Does medicare cover shingles vaccine 2017.

Medicare advantage or medicare part d plans may cover all or a portion of the shingles vaccine costs. Contact your medicare drug plan for more information about coverage. 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 part d optional prescription drug coverage on the other hand may cover the shingles vaccine as well as other commercially available vaccines.

As you get older you re more likely to get shingles. Medicare part a hospital insurance or medicare part b medical insurance doesn t cover the shingles shot. Shingles is a painful rash caused by the varicella zoster virus also called herpes zoster the same virus that causes chickenpox according to the centers for disease control and prevention. Medicare requires part d plans to cover the shingles vaccine so if you re enrolled in part d you shouldn t have difficulty obtaining the shot.

Fortunately there is a vaccine that can. Medicare part b covers a small handful of vaccines for the flu hepatitis b and the pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine.