Bummer. Cost of shingles shot is not covered

[leftyladyfrommo]

by my Humana Advantage Plus policy.

Cost for 1 shot is $171 and I need 2 shots.

So I guess the booster shot is a no go for me. I got shingles after my Pfizer Covid shots. I don't have a rash any more but I still hurt 6 months later.

Crumb

[MiniMe]

1. I think that is a medicare thing

My insurance covered my shingrix shingles shot

[SCantiGOP]

15. Medicare covers it

Medicare Advantage plans are lousy rip-offs. Unless you really trust Joe Namath with your medical affairs, stay away from them and stick with regulate Medicare and a supplemental plan.
Just my opinion.

[leftyladyfrommo]

16. M8ne hasn't been a rip off. They have covered

everything for me until now.

[SCantiGOP]

19. Just my opinion

A good friend is a manager for Blue Cross and recommends Obamacare plans to people.
She says she has never seen an Advantage plan that was cheaper or paid more than regular Medicare. They load the plans up with free rides to appointments, vision and dental care, etc., but she said you pay for it whether you Usenet or not, and could save money by just paying those out of pocket.

[in2herbs]

38. Those "free" rides to appts etc is not elegible to everyone. There is an income threshhold that is

equivalent to Medicaid income ratios.

I have an Advantage plan and wouldn't change for anything. But, I do think that the Advantage plans are more advantageous if one is on Medicare.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

25. I have a Humana Advantage plan and it's been excellent.

It paid for my shingles shots a year or so ago.

[Hoyt]

32. Not true. Medicare does not cover it. If you buy a drug plan from a private insurer, it might cover

it.

Shingles shots

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) doesn't cover the shingles shot.

Generally, Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D) cover all commercially available vaccines (like the shingles shot) needed to prevent illness. Contact your Medicare drug plan for more information about coverage.

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/shingles-shots

[SCantiGOP]

48. You're correct

I have Part D, which I guess I assumed most Medicare recipients have, and it covered it for me.

[Horse with no Name]

47. Agree. I work with them every day

From a provider standpoint and they make you fight for every thing.

[PJMcK]

2. Yep

I learned that a few year ago. So I bit the bullet and paid for the vaccination.

[leftyladyfrommo]

6. I can't afford it.

Covid completely wrecked my side pet sitting business overnight. That money paid for my extra things. Now I basically just have SS to live on.

I am one of those seniors that got wiped out. I am not alone. I think there are a whole lot of us. Small side gigs keep us afloat.

I just have to continue to be careful

[Tetrachloride]

3. Check county health officials

Just a thought. good luck

my vaccinations of 4x were affordable or covered: shingles, flu , travel.

[leftyladyfrommo]

8. My flu shot is covered. nt

[leftyladyfrommo]

17. I tried to call but getting anyone is impossible. nt

[nature-lover]

4. Medicare? Check with your pharmacy. Medicare won't cover tetanus at dr. office but will at pharmacy

May be the same for shingles shot.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. I will call them next.

[jimfields33]

5. Worth every penny. Shingles is ugly.

[leftyladyfrommo]

11. I agree. Shingles can be just awful. And the pain

can last for years. People can be completely disabled.

[MissMillie]

41. Third most painful thing I have ever endured

behind a kidney stone and child birth.

I was VERY young (13) when I got shingles. No vaccine back then, but I wouldn't have qualified for it anyway.

[Lars39]

7. It might pay for it since you've already had shingles.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I just talked to them on the phone.

You would think it would be covered. A shot is a lot cheaper than shingles care.

[Lars39]

28. If I remember correctly my doctor ordered it.

I wonder if that would make a difference?

[leftyladyfrommo]

34. It might since I have had shingles.

[Liberal In Texas]

10. My real Medicare covered it.

Your private corporate Advantage plan? - not surprising.

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. Actually they have been really good. This is the only

problem I have had. And it's so much cheaper than Medigap.

[Walleye]

20. I was told Medicare wouldn't cover it, has that changed?

[Hoyt]

35. Wrong. Original Medicare does not cover the shingles vaccine.

"Original Medicare does not cover the shingles vaccine, but Medicare Part D generally covers a shingles vaccine. You must get Medicare Part D coverage through a private health insurance company."

https://www.ehealthmedicare.com/faq/does-medicare-cover-shingles-vaccine/#:~:text=Original%20Medicare%20does%20not%20cover,a%20private%20health%20insurance%20company.



Shingles shots

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) or Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) doesn't cover the shingles shot.

Generally, Medicare prescription drug plans (Part D) cover all commercially available vaccines (like the shingles shot) needed to prevent illness. Contact your Medicare drug plan for more information about coverage.

https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/shingles-shots

[Desert grandma]

46. If you have original Medicare parts A and B

You need to also purchase part D which is the prescription drug plan. Those plans will cover it. Mine did a couple of years ago. There was a co-pay but not nearly the full price.

[Baitball Blogger]

13. That is a bummer.

My insurance covers it as a preventative, but only if I go to Walgreens or Publix. I tried Walgreens yesterday. They are not as organized as CVS. Had to hold for about 20 minutes, and the end result was that I would have to wait in the store whether I made an appointment, or not.

[CTyankee]

18. I still have nerve pain after shingles. I can treat it with drugs but they cause weight gain.

[leftyladyfrommo]

26. My pain isn't too bad. Not like some people that

have excruciating nerve pain.

But I am afraid that I could get a really bad case of shingles with a Covid booster shot.

[CTyankee]

27. Why? Is there a medical reason that would happen?

[Nixie]

33. My doctor told me to wait for 2 weeks to get a Covid booster

after the Shingles, but I didn’t ask why.

[CTyankee]

36. Oh, I had shingles several years ago. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[leftyladyfrommo]

37. A lot of people have reported getting shingles after

their Covid shots but no one really knows why. And the latest I read was that the Medical profession is blowing it off and calling it a coincidence.

[in2herbs]

39. Try CBD oil. A good CBD oil taken in the right quantity is a great pain killer anti-inflamm. nt

[Nixie]

21. I just got the shot at my doctor's office, but insurance

wouldn’t cover it at a regular pharmacy where my husband and I first went. The pharmacy told us we could get it at the doctor’s office.

So my husband checked and we could get it at the pharmacy, but it had to be designated a Minute Clinic, Minute Clinic being the designated nomenclature for that particular pharmacy, which might not mean anything in your case. They told him that the Minute Clinic had Nurse Practitioner’s and that’s where it’s covered.

So don’t give up! I know it’s a pain, but maybe there’s some combination like that which may work out for you.

Now we have to figure out why the pharmacy told us he needs a 2nd shot, but my doctor didn’t mention that. His friend at work wasn’t told of a 2nd shot, either, hmmm.

Good luck with this! 👍

[leftyladyfrommo]

23. It takes 2 shots several months apart.

I think our Walgreens is a Minute Clinic.

[Nixie]

29. It might be worth a try to explore all angles. I'm sure

you’ve tried, so I hope you don’t think I’m implying you haven’t. No is no, but we were really bummed when we were initially told we couldn’t get it, but it wound up working out by talking to other people besides just the initial person. That first person at the pharmacy didn’t even tell us about the Minute Clinic, and that’s her own employer! We were surprised she didn’t mention it.

Good luck with this, and sorry for your troubles with it. I saw some other suggestions here that sound like possible options, too.

I had a real scare with a 24-hour hives rash that came out of nowhere about a month ago. It was scary, but my husband insisted it was just hives, and he wound up being right. That scared us into searching out the Shingles shot, though.

[snowybirdie]

22. Check with local government

Our township in Illinois paid for all Seniors to get the shot at Walgreens. Ask, you never know.

[leftyladyfrommo]

24. I tried to call our Health Dept but I just got voicemail s. nt

[Polly Hennessey]

30. Mine was paid for.

[Hawaii Hiker]

31. Mine is covered

I'm 51 and just got the shot...It is done 6 months apart..It is covered under my health insurance...

[Totally Tunsie]

40. Years ago, I received the original single shot at RiteAid Pharmacy

and had to pay $90. I was told to receive the same shot at my doctor's office would cost $200. RiteAid was the obvious choice.

When the 2-shot Shingrix Vaccine came out, I received it at CVS for no charge. They administered the first shot and called me 6 months later to come back for the second. I have Medicare and AARP (United Health) supplemental.

Have you shopped around for pricing? Perhaps you can find it for less.

[Politicub]

42. My husband's Medicare Advantage plan covered it (Cigna). He had to get it at a pharmacy.

On another note, what's the deal with people on this thread showing off about their ability to afford Medigap plans? While the ability to use original Medicare is great, count your blessings that you have the means to do this.

My husband is disabled, and Medigap does not work the same for disabled adults under 65. Insurers with gap plans can charge the disabled more or choose not to offer them plans at all. We couldn't find a gap plan that covered his needs at a price that wasn't astronomical.

Medicare needs some structural fixes, and Advantage plans are the only affordable option for millions of us. People don't opt-in to the plans for fun.

Maybe I'm in a foul mood this morning, but DU seems especially annoying today with all of the flexing with higher incomes and the privileges having more money brings. The first thing that set me off are the people who are shaming others who can't afford vet bills. Then this thread. We get it. Some Americans are much better off than others, and there are so many things -- what used to be normal things -- that are out of reach.

[leftyladyfrommo]

44. I can't afford much. I have a friend whose husband

makes big bucks. Her Medicare supplemental plan costs something like $156 a month. Then just about everything is covered. I am glad she can afford that.

I can't but I am not complaining. My Humana Advantage Plus has been great for my hospital stays and doctor's visits and prescriptions. It covered a large part of my cataract surgery and new glasses. It's so much better than what I had when I under 65. My previoys policy was about $400 a month wuth a $5000 deductible. My Medicare beats the hell out of that.

I just need to save up for a shingles shot.

[marie999]

43. My husband and I got our shingle shots at our VA clinic.

We have never been turned down for anything by them.

[NCjack]

45. If you are too poor to pay, call you county health department and ask for help