PLEASE READ – COVID-19 VACCCINATION FEES

Dear COVID-19 Vaccine Providers,

Thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to the residents of Los Angeles County during the historic COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 2022, together we have delivered almost 18.5 million vaccinations! This would not have been possible without you and our other incredible partners.

We need your assistance on an issue that has arisen recently. We have started to get reports that some providers have been improperly charging patients for COVID-19 vaccination. This is a reminder that you cannot charge any out-of-pocket cost for COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine must be made available at no cost to all individuals to ensure equitable access. Denying anyone vaccination or reducing appointments based on the person’s insurance status, charging for an office visit or other fee (if COVID-19 vaccination is the sole medical service provided), requiring additional medical services to receive COVID-19 vaccination, or seeking any additional reimbursement, including through balance billing from the vaccine recipient, is prohibited.

We understand that the loss of the HRSA COVID-19 Uninsured Program funding may prove a challenge to serving your neediest community members. Please know that we are working hard to advocate with the federal and state government on your behalf. In the meantime, here are some considerations and resources to assist you:

1. You may be able to bill Medicare, Medi-Cal or private insurance to obtain reimbursement for administering vaccines, and through other available mechanisms for the uninsured, where appropriate.

2. California’s Department of Health Care Services will accept claims for individuals enrolled in the COVID-19 Uninsured Group Program. Individuals must apply for the COVID-19 Uninsured Group Program through a Medi-Cal Qualified Provider in the following programs: Presumptive Eligibility for Pregnant Women, Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program, Hospital Presumptive Eligibility, and Child Health and Disability Prevention. Providers must submit applications via the COVID-19 Uninsured Group Application Portal.

3. The California Department of Public Health is hosting a Zoom webinar on billing and reimbursement updates on April 29th at 12:30pm. The webinar will feature guests from the California Department of Healthcare Services and the California Medical Association. Here’s the zoom link to sign up for the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__DRWf3lrQDOKUpCXxBQJhg

4. You may refer any patient to a walk-in community vaccination site located at: http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/vaccine/hcwsignup/?walkin=TRUE, or contact the LA County Department of Public Health Call Center at 833-540-0473 seven days a week from 8:00am-8:30pm for appointment or referral assistance.

5. You may wish to hold onto records for possible future claim submission should the HRSA Uninsured Program receive funding and begin accepting claims, or another source of funding is established.

We understand these are trying times, and hope that the issue is resolved soon. In the meantime, we join CDC in strongly encouraging you to stay in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program and to adhere to CDC provider agreement requirements and terms detailed here.

Thank you again for serving your community. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Vaccine Operations Teams

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health