The Biden administration unveiled Tuesday a $1.1 billion program aimed at providing Covid-19 vaccines and treatments to the uninsured at no cost after the federal supply is exhausted.
The two-part initiative would utilize pharmacies, local health departments and federally supported health centers to provide Covid-19 care, according to a fact sheet distributed by the White House. The funds should support the program through December 2024.
Americans can currently receive Covid-19 vaccines and certain treatments at no charge because the federal government purchased them for distribution to the public. But when that supply is exhausted, the products will shift to the commercial market after Congress refused to provide more funds to purchase additional supplies. Most people with insurance will be able to continue getting vaccinated for free, but that’s not the case for those without coverage.
One prong of the new program calls for creating a public-private partnership with local and national pharmacies, which administer the majority of adult Covid-19 vaccinations. The federal government will provide a per-dose payment to the pharmacies to cover the cost of administrating the vaccines and treatments, including the antiviral medications Paxlovid and Lagevrio. Pharmacies can also receive one-time payments for each site that targets areas with low rates of access and vaccination.
To let the uninsured know about the program, the pharmacies will be expected to conduct outreach and work with community groups that focus on underserved populations.
Just how many pharmacies choose to participate, however, remains to be seen. The US Department of Health and Human Services will work to establish contracts with the pharmacies over the next few months with the aim of launching the program in the fall, according to the fact sheet. It expects pharmacies that have participated in…
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