Major health insurer group says members will continue to cover vaccines
4 hours ago
- #vaccine-coverage
- #health-insurance
- #public-health
- America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) pledges to cover all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as of Sept. 1, 2025, with no cost sharing for patients through 2026.
- The new ACIP members, selected by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., include vaccine critics and individuals with limited vaccine expertise.
- Experts speculate the panel may drop the hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for newborns, potentially leading to a resurgence of the virus and related diseases.
- AHIP’s commitment ensures continued vaccine coverage even if ACIP’s recommendations change under new leadership.
- UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, is not part of AHIP and did not comment on its vaccine coverage plans.
- Georgetown University’s Amy Killelea praises AHIP’s announcement for stabilizing access amid uncertainty.
- Kennedy’s ACIP has not yet made major changes to vaccine recommendations but will review Covid-19 and pediatric vaccine schedules this week.
- Changes by ACIP require approval by CDC acting director Jim O’Neill, after previous director Susan Monarez was ousted for resisting Kennedy’s demands.