Blogs/News/PSAs

COVID-19 Vaccine Resources: What Partners Need to Know Now

Monday, March 22

As COVID-19 vaccines continue rolling out across the country, CMS is taking action to protect the health and safety of our nation’s patients and providers and keeping you updated on the latest COVID-19 resources from HHS, CDC and CMS.

With information coming from many different sources, CMS has up-to-date resources and materials to help you share important and relevant information on the COVID-19 vaccine with the people that you serve. You can find these and more resources on the COVID-19 Partner Resources Page and the HHS COVID Education Campaign page. We look forward to partnering with you to promote vaccine safety and encourage our beneficiaries to get vaccinated when they have the opportunity. For more information visit the CMS COVID-19 Policies and Guidance page.

If you are a healthcare provider:

Both the CDC and CMS have useful resources for your practice. Look to CDC for the latest science, vaccine administration information and patient-focused resources.  We update these resources regularly, so follow them for current information.

Follow the CDC Resource for Health Care Providers Page and check out the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccination Communication Toolkit For Medical Centers, Pharmacies, and Clinicians.  This resource provides ready-made materials to educate healthcare teams and staff and to give them tools they can use to educate patients and answer their questions about the vaccines.  Also, navigate to the CDC COVID-19 vaccination page which has information for a number of audiences.

What’s New?

• On March 15th, CMS announced an increase with the Medicare payment amount for administering the COVID-19 vaccine. This new and higher payment rate will support important actions taken by providers to increase the number of vaccines they can furnish each day, including establishing new or growing existing vaccination sites, conducting patient outreach and education, and hiring additional staff.  For more information, see the press release and additional information including billing codes and payment allowances.
• The MLN Connects® Newsletter is also a great source of Medicare updates, including the latest information about vaccines as they become available. This March 15 Special Edition describes recent payment increases and steps through reimbursement information by type of coverage (Medicare, private insurance, etc.).
• CMS released a NEW resource: Talking to People with Medicare about the COVID-19 Vaccine.  It can be found on the COVID-19 Vaccine Policies & Guidance page.

Additional Resources

CMS maintains a COVID-19 Provider Toolkit to ensure health care providers have the necessary tools to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The toolkit includes information on:

• How health care providers can enroll in Medicare to bill for administering COVID-19 vaccines;
• The COVID-19 vaccine Medicare coding structure;
• The Medicare payment strategy for COVID-19 vaccine administration;
• Up to date payment allowances for COVID-19 vaccine administration, including the new Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine.
• How health care providers can bill correctly for administering vaccines, including roster and centralized billing;
• Monoclonal antibody infusion for treating COVID-19; and
• New COVID-19 Treatments Add-on Payment (NCTAP).

You can also review the set of COVID-19 FAQs, which has information specific to health care providers who bill Medicare for administering COVID-19 vaccines.

Here's what else you should know:

• Medicare covers the COVID-19 vaccine, so there will be no cost to your patients with Medicare.  Medicare will reimburse you for administering the vaccine.
• State governments are handling the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Look for updates from your state and local officials as more doses of the vaccine become available for additional priority groups.
• For individuals who are uninsured, providers may submit claims for reimbursement for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to individuals without insurance through the Provider Relief Fund, administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
• CMS also published guidance to group health plans and health insurance issuers regarding COVID-19 related benefits.
• Most professional associations have pages devoted to COVID-19 vaccination.  Your association may have advice tailored to your discipline, specialty and/or location.

How can you help educate your patients?

• You are a trusted source…encourage your patients to get the vaccine when it is available to them.
• Let them know the vaccine is no cost and will help keep them from getting COVID-19. Learn more about the benefits of the vaccine.
• Let them know the vaccine is safe and that safety is a top priority for COVID-19 vaccines.
• Remind them to continue practicing the 3Ws (Wear a Mask, Watch your distance, Wash your hands).

Questions?  Please e-mail us:  Partnership@cms.hhs.gov