Public-Private Program Boosts Uninsured Access to COVID-19 Vaccines

In an effort to maintain access to coronavirus vaccines for uninsured Americans, HHS has introduced a public-private partnership with pharmaceutical companies.

The partnership, known as the “HHS Bridge Access Program For COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments Program” (“Program”), took a two-pronged approach to maintain access to coronavirus vaccines for the uninsured population.

HHS will invest $1.1 billion to establish a partnership with pharmacies so that they will offer coronavirus vaccines and treatments to uninsured individuals for free. Additionally, the program will reinforce the vaccine safety net.

“Partners across the United States government (USG) have been developing commercialization transition plans to ensure a smooth transition for the provision of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments from the purchase and distribution by the USG to traditional health care pathways. When that transition occurs, most Americans should continue to pay nothing out-of-pocket for COVID-19 vaccines,” the press release stated.

The press release noted that vaccine manufacturers have already committed to offering free vaccines for uninsured individuals. The program will define the specifics of that agreement. It also applies to coronavirus treatments, like Lagevrio and Paxlovid.

The contracts will be established between pharmacies—both large and small—and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through the program, pharmacies will be reimbursed for the administration of each coronavirus vaccine or coronavirus treatment that they give to uninsured individuals.

In regions with low access to coronavirus vaccines and low vaccination rates, pharmacies can also receive a one-time base payment.

Pharmacies will commit to conducting outreach, sending facility-level data back to CDC, and collecting patient attestations of uninsurance along with other oversight measures.

By handling the per-dose reimbursement, HHS will lower costs for manufacturers. Pharmaceutical manufacturers will maintain their patient assistance programs to reimburse or replace coronavirus vaccines. They will also ensure that the appropriate drugs are available.

The other component of this two-part program involves supporting the public sector vaccine safety net by permitting CDC to pay for and distribute coronavirus vaccines to state and local health departments. The departments will distribute the vaccines among local health departments and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) supported health centers.

HHS expected the program to launch in the fall of 2023. The financial support for this program will come from coronavirus supplemental funds. Using these resources, HHS projected that the program could continue through December 2024.

“In addition to filling a significant gap in access to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments for a vulnerable population, we hope this effort will also demonstrate to Congress the viability of approaches to extend access to other vaccines to uninsured adults,” the announcement concluded.

Maintaining access to coronavirus vaccines and treatments remains a priority, especially as more research emerges about the impacts of long-term coronavirus symptoms on unmet needs.

The program will continue a trend of public-private partnerships that began during the first phases of the pandemic in response to the high public health demands.