What the end of the CDC’s COVID vaccine access program means for uninsured Americans

(NEW YORK) — Updated COVID-19 vaccines will soon be rolled out ahead of the fall and winter season, but some Americans may not easily be able to access them.

In previous years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a Bridge Access Program, a public-private partnership that provided free COVID-19 vaccines to adults without health insurance and adults whose insurance does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs.

As a result of federal funding cuts, however, the program is ending this month.

Americans who are covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance will still receive the updated vaccine at no cost. The 25 to 30 million adults who do not have insurance will have to pay out of pocket to get a shot.

“The timing is really unfortunate, because we don’t yet have the 2024-25 versions of the COVID shots generally available yet, so the Bridge program will end before those are available to uninsured individuals,” Dr. Nathaniel Hupert, an associate professor of population health sciences and of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, told ABC News.

The CDC has allocated $62 million in unused vaccine contract funding for state and local programs to buy COVID vaccines for uninsured and underinsured adults to help broaden access, but details remain scant.

“Yes, there were $62 million unspent funds, but state and local health departments have been depleted since the pandemic,” Dr. Rebecca Weintraub, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and director of Better Evidence at Ariadne Labs, told ABC News. “They don’t have cash reserves to start paying in advance for this type of expensive vaccine.”

Dr. Raynard Washington, public health director of Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, said purchasing enough updated COVID vaccines will be a challenge.

There about 100,000 residents between ages 19 and 64 in Mecklenburg County who are uninsured. There are not enough local resources to purchase an adequate supply of vaccines for all those adults, Washington said.

“Even if 10% of those adults wanted to receive a vaccine or needed to receive a vaccine, that still would be several hundred thousand dollars of cost that we would not be able to be able to carry,” he told ABC News.

Washington said there are still some COVID funds available that will help cover the administration costs. However, the county cannot shoulder all of the costs, he explained.

“We are planning to purchase a limited supply but, again, it won’t be sufficient,” Washington said.

Last year, Pfizer and Moderna indicated the commercial price per dose for its vaccine would be between $110 and $130. This year, prices could be just as much or even higher.

Experts say the current prices are a huge financial burden for many Americans and simply out of reach for many uninsured adults.

“People have to make a choice about whether or not they cover the cost of health care or other basic needs,” Washington said.

For children whose parents or guardians cannot afford vaccine coverage for them, there is the federally funded Vaccines for Children Program, which provides free access to vaccines.

The experts told ABC News there is a need to establish a Vaccine for Adults Program, similar to the federal program available for children. They also recommended a pharmacy discount program to help save on the cost of vaccines for low-income or uninsured residents.

Although the lack of no-cost vaccines will be a barrier, vaccines are among the most effective tools when it comes to protecting against severe illness or hospitalization from COVID, they added.

“It still is the No. 1 best tool we have to keep people safe, healthy and alive,” Washington said. “I would certainly encourage folks — particularly those adults, children and residents who are more medically vulnerable or have underlying health conditions — to make sure that they consider vaccination when the vaccines are available, hopefully in the next several days.”

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