Medicare covers COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots. You can get a booster from the same COVID-19 vaccine that you originally got, or choose a different one.
- If you got a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, you can get a booster shot at least 5 months after you complete your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine series.
- If you got a Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, you can get a booster shot at least 2 months after you got your first shot.
- Learn more about who should get additional booster shots.
If you’re 50 and older, or if you’re moderately to severely immunocompromised, you may get a second COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, at no cost to you, at least 4 months after their first booster. Your second booster must be a Pfizer or Moderna booster. It doesn’t need to be the same as your initial COVID-19 vaccine.
You pay nothing for the COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot. You won’t pay a deductible or copayment, and your provider can’t charge you an administration fee to give you the shot.
A COVID-19 vaccine helps reduce the risk of illness from COVID-19 by working with the body’s natural defenses to safely develop protection (immunity) to the virus.
- Find a COVID-19 vaccine near you.
- If you’re immunocompromised (like people who have had an organ transplant and are at risk for infections and other diseases), Medicare will cover an additional dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, at least 28 days after a second dose, at no cost to you. Note: Don’t mix vaccines. If your first two doses were Pfizer, your third dose should also be Pfizer. If your first two doses were Moderna, your third dose should also be Moderna.
- You may be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine in your own home. See details below.
- Be sure to bring your red, white, and blue Medicare card with you when you get the vaccine so your health care provider or pharmacy can bill Medicare. If you fill out a form to get the vaccine, you may be asked for your insurer’s group number. If you have Part B, leave this field blank or write “N/A.” If you have trouble with the form, talk with your vaccine provider.
- If you fill out a form to get the vaccine, you may be asked for your insurer’s group number. If you have Part B, leave this field blank or write “N/A.” If you have trouble with the form, talk with your vaccine provider.
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Medicare also covers COVID-19 diagnostic tests, COVID-19 antibody tests, and COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments.
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine in your home
If you have Medicare and have a disability or face other challenges in getting to a location away from home for a vaccination, Medicare will pay a doctor or other care provider to give you the COVID-19 vaccine in your home. You may need to give them your Medicare Number for billing, but there’s still no cost to you for the vaccine and its administration.
Contact your regular doctor or health care provider and ask if they’re able to give you the COVID-19 vaccine in your home. If they can’t, they might be able to refer you to someone who can do this. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE for vaccine contacts in your state. More details on providers of the COVID-19 vaccine are also available on Vaccines.gov.
Remember, don’t give out your Medicare Number or accept a vaccine from anyone who isn’t a known or trusted provider, or who contacts you without your invitation.
If you paid to get a COVID-19 vaccine
When you get a COVID-19 vaccine, your provider can’t charge you for an office visit or other fee if the vaccine is the only medical service you get. If you get other medical services at the same time you get the COVID-19 vaccine, you may owe a copayment or deductible for those services.
If you paid a fee or got a bill for a COVID-19 vaccine, check this list to see if your provider should have charged you:
- Check the receipts and statements you get from your provider for any mistakes.
- Call your provider’s office to ask about any charges you think are incorrect. The person you speak to may help you better understand the services you got, or realize they made a billing error.
- If you have Original Medicare, review your “Medicare Summary Notice” for errors. Report anything suspicious to Medicare by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
- If you have other coverage like a Medicare Advantage Plan, review your “Explanation of Benefits.” Report anything suspicious to your insurer.
If you think your provider incorrectly charged you for the COVID-19 vaccine, ask them for a refund. If you think your provider charged you for an office visit or other fee, but the only service you got was a COVID-19 vaccine, report them to the Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or visiting TIPS.HHS.GOV.
Be alert for scammers trying to steal your Medicare Number. Medicare covers the vaccine at no cost to you, so if anyone asks you for your Medicare Number to get access to the vaccine, you can bet it’s a scam.
Here’s what to know:
- You can’t pay to put your name on a list to get the vaccine.
- You can’t pay to get access to a vaccine.
- Don’t share your personal or financial information if someone calls, texts, or emails you promising access to the vaccine for a fee.