Can someone be denied a COVID-19 vaccine because of outstanding medical debt?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, “vaccine doses purchased with U.S. taxpayer dollars will be given to the American people at no cost.” Any associated fees are covered by insurance providers or, for the uninsured, by reimbursements from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Provider Relief Fund. The fund was created as part of the March 2020 coronavirus relief legislation. The CDC states that “no one can be denied a vaccine if they are unable to pay the vaccine administration fee.”
In early February, a 72-year-old Colorado cancer patient had a vaccine appointment cancelled due to medical debt. However, the medical center soon called the man to tell him that there was an error in its vaccine policy, and scheduled him for a next-day appointment.
