Government
Many insurers don't cover vaccines
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 23, 2005
An estimated 15% of children and 30% of adults with private health insurance do not have coverage for vaccinations, according to a study published in the May/June Health Affairs. That means that as many as 5 million children and 36 million adults with insurance still have to pay for their immunizations. The study by University of Michigan researchers also found that while more than half of states require coverage of recommended vaccinations for children, none requires equivalent coverage for adults.
"Over the past few years, newly approved vaccines have been increasingly expensive, so insurance plans have been less likely to cover them," said study author Matthew Davis. "This means that new vaccines of the future may be available to many people only if they can pay out of pocket."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/05/23/gvbf0523.htm.
