The Biden administration has unveiled a new $1.1 billion program aimed at providing
Covid-19 vaccines and treatments
to the uninsured free of charge once government distribution ends.
The allocated funds should support the program into December 2024, allaying fears that vulnerable Americans could be left without access to Covid-19 vaccines 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.
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 runs out, the products
will shift to the commercial market after Congress
refused to provide more funds
to purchase additional supplies.
Under the new plans, the federal government will continue to subsidize pharmacies and manufacturers so that uninsured Americans can still receive access to vaccines at no cost.
This part of the program therefore 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 administering the vaccines and treatments.
However, it is still not clear how many pharmacies will choose to participate in the plans.
This is because the US Department of Health and Human Services will still have 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.
Despite this, the US government expects pharmacies that have participated in the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) "COVID-19 Test to Treat" program and other pandemic partnerships to join
the effort.
Manufacturers are also expected to provide the vaccines to participating pharmacies under the program, which will be compensated through the drug companies' patient assistance programs.
Pharmacist Patricia Pernal administers the newest Covid-19 vaccine during a clinic for seniors at the Southwest Senior Center on September 9, 2022, in Chicago.
(Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Getty Images)
Moderna said in February that it would provide the vaccines at no cost to the uninsured through its patient assistance program. Pfizer
has also pointed
to its patient assistance program, which helps people without insurance get vaccines.
The companies did not immediately respond to CNN's requests for comment about participation in the new initiative.
Asked about whether the vaccine manufacturers have agreed to participate, a HHS spokesperson said the agency "has had very positive conversations" with them.
The second part of the new program leverages local health departments and federally supported health centers, which traditionally care for the uninsured. The CDC will purchase vaccines for
distribution to the departments and centers, while the Health Resources and Services Administration will support the delivery of vaccines and treatments to its network of health centers.
The federal government said it expects to purchase the supplies at a discount as it does with similar existing immunization programs.
Just how many uninsured Americans will utilize the program is uncertain. Not that many people are
getting vaccinated for Covid-19
these days, and the rate is lower among the uninsured, some data has found.
Allowing the uninsured to access the vaccines at no charge is important but so is educating them about the program, said Jen Kates, senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
To make sure the uninsured are aware of it, the pharmacies will be expected to conduct outreach and work with community groups that focus on underserved populations.