Anyone Here Paid Cash-on-the-Barrelhead for Shingles Vaccine?

[officerripley]

I want to get the Shingles vaccine and found out that neither my Medicare (Part A&B) or my supplemental insurance (PERSCare Blue Shield) will pay for it. My primary doctor's office wants $275 for each of the 2 shots; the pharmacy wants $243 for each shot.

Is this about what anybody else has paid? Thanks.

 

[DebraMae]

My Medicare paid for mine. I can't imagine why they would not pay for yours if you have part D.

 

[HoneyNut]

My primary doctor's office wants $275 for each of the 2 shots; the pharmacy wants $243 for each shot.

Is this about what anybody else has paid? Thanks.

I don't remember exactly, but I paid at least $200 getting it at a pharmacy (I got the shots before Medicare started covering them).

 

[StarSong]

I have Kaiser's Medicare Advantage. No co-pay for shingles, pneumonia, or any other vaccines. I don't know if Medicare covered them, but Kaiser did.

 

[Nathan]

I have Kaiser's Medicare Advantage. No co-pay for shingles, pneumonia, or any other vaccines. I don't know if Medicare covered them, but Kaiser did.

Same here, no charge for any shots(Shingles, Pneumonia,Flu,RSV,Covid, Covid boosters).

 

[officerripley]

My Medicare paid for mine. I can't imagine why they would not pay for yours if you have part D.

We don't have Part D; we have Part A&B (we were always told that was the best one to have with the supplemental ins. we've got; guess not.)

 

[DebraMae]

We don't have Part D; we have Part A&B (we were always told that was the best one to have with the supplemental ins. we've got; guess not.)

What they are saying they charge is about right then. Those particular vaccines run about the same here if you do not have ins.

 

[StarSong]

We don't have Part D; we have Part A&B (we were always told that was the best one to have with the supplemental ins. we've got; guess not.)

Why would you not have part D? Have you thought about switching to a different provider? If so, now's the perfect time to do it.

 

[Aneeda72]

I want to get the Shingles vaccine and found out that neither my Medicare (Part A&B) or my supplemental insurance (PERSCare Blue Shield) will pay for it. My primary doctor's office wants $275 for each of the 2 shots; the pharmacy wants $243 for each shot.

Is this about what anybody else has paid? Thanks.

I only have part A&B, Medicare pays when my private insurance doesn’t. I’ve never heard of Medicare not paying for vaccines

 

[Teacher Terry]

We don't have Part D; we have Part A&B (we were always told that was the best one to have with the supplemental ins. we've got; guess not.)

You need part D which pays for vaccines and prescriptions. Part D is really cheap. Sign up now during open enrollment. You need A, B, D and a supplement plan if you have regular Medicare.

 

[Repondering]

I had to pay for my 2 shingles vax at Walgreens Pharmacy. They wouldn't accept my Medicare parts A & B or my Medicare supplementary insurance and my primary care MD's practice wasn't providing the shingles vax. So it was out-of-pocket for me......about $200 and change.....annoying but not that big of a deal. Just one more of life's nuisances. Better than getting shingles.

 

[That Lady in PA]

Our Highmark Medicare Advantage paid for mine and my husband's in full.

 

[jujube]

Both the initial one and the second shot were paid for by Medicare. I got them at Walmart.

 

[officerripley]

It finally came back to me--not firing on all cylinders, this year has s*cked and getting worse--the reason we didn't get Medicare D is because I have a good prescription ins. (OptumRX) through where I worked, so looks like Optum'll pay for all or most of it. Duh, I'm not thinking straight at all these days and don't expect to in the near future, sigh.

 

[Kaila]

Yes, your prescription insurance will likely pay for it, @officerripley .

And any and every Part D, does pay for all recommended vaccines. (The vaccines that are not covered by Part B.)

Some of the Part D insurances are extremely cheap (or cost nothing) and worth it.

Though you probably don't need any Part D as long as you have a supplement insurance that includes meds, or specific other drug insurance.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I always got my shot from Rite Aide- never got charged a dime. About 6 years ago, my doc asked if I wanted a flu shot. Okay.
Medicare turned down the extra $85 fee his group charged over the Medicare reimbursement. I got stuck with the $85 bill.
Back to Rite Aide.

 

[Murrmurr]

I want to get the Shingles vaccine and found out that neither my Medicare (Part A&B) or my supplemental insurance (PERSCare Blue Shield) will pay for it. My primary doctor's office wants $275 for each of the 2 shots; the pharmacy wants $243 for each shot.

Is this about what anybody else has paid? Thanks.

Did you ask your insurances why they won't cover it? Maybe they decided you're not eligible for some reason, and maybe they're mistaken about that.

 

[StarSong]

Did you ask your insurances why they won't cover it? Maybe they decided you're not eligible for some reason, and maybe they're mistaken about that.

She doesn't have part D, which might explain it. Perhaps vaccines fall under Rx rather than medical care.

 

[Packerjohn]

I'm from Canada. I paid around $180 CND, each time, about 3 years ago at Costco Pharmacy. I know it's a gamble because you might or you might not get it.

A friend of mine was driving to Vancouver and he got the Shingles. He said the pain was really terrible.

 

[David777]

@officerripley better to pay for that expensive vaccine than risk getting shingles if you know you had chicken pox as a child.

Just received a shingles booster (KP free) a couple weeks ago. I had shingles erupt in 2014 (?) that affected my lower back and upper legs. Was very painful for the first few days and had thought I had suffered a damaged disc in my lower spine. My KP doctor diagnosed it as shingles quickly and the next day the itchy red blotch rashes arose. Required a few weeks of antibiotics to go away. Maybe once every year or two a few red blotches appear as the virus is always there in spinal nerves.

 

[January]

better to pay for that expensive vaccine than risk getting shingles if you know you had chicken pox as a child.

The posts about costs and the Medicare system in US is over my head - but just on this point: you almost certainly had chicken pox as a child, whether you remember or know it or not.
Even though some people get it really mildly or even asymptomatically - the virus is still in your system and you can still get shingles later in life

and in our childhood days, ie before the chicken pox vaccine - chicken pox was endemic and it would be very unusual for an olderr person not to have contracted it.

you can get a blood test to check this - but really no point, would be extremely unlikely to come back negative and just wastes more time and money to find out.

Have the vaccine anyway.

 

[Murrmurr]

She doesn't have part D, which might explain it. Perhaps vaccines fall under Rx rather than medical care.

Oh. I skimmed, obviously.

So, @officerripley , just give Blue Shield a call about adding Rx coverage or reviewing your existing coverage. Or call California Covered, or visit their website. Maybe they can help you out.

 

[Buckeye]

"Cash on the Barrel head" - haven't heard that expression for decades. I was offered a shingles vax at my PCP a couple of years ago, and it was 200ish. No thanks.

 

[officerripley]

The posts about costs and the Medicare system in US is over my head - but just on this point: you almost certainly had chicken pox as a child, whether you remember or know it or not.
Even though some people get it really mildly or even asymptomatically - the virus is still in your system and you can still get shingles later in life

and in our childhood days, ie before the chicken pox vaccine - chicken pox was endemic and it would be very unusual for an olderr person not to have contracted it.

you can get a blood test to check this - but really no point, would be extremely unlikely to come back negative and just wastes more time and money to find out.

Have the vaccine anyway.

I never had chicken pox but they advised me to get the shingles vax anyway. Oh, and the prescription insurance I have paid for it all.

 

[Eupher]

Wow! I'm gobsmacked. That is criminally expensive!

About 4 years ago I was invited to get the shingles vaccine. I never had had chicken pox as a youngster (Lord knows why, as both my siblings had CP at the same time), so I didn't think I needed it. But I got it (I think only one shot) at the local Air Force Base. Cost to me -- $0.