While Medicaid will cover the COVID-19 vaccine during the public health emergency with no cost sharing, some adults w/Medicaid don’t have coverage for other vaccines. Why? Because vaccines aren’t in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and are an optional benefit for some adults.1/4

Based on how the rebate statute works, no rebates for vaccines also means states don’t have to cover them. Changing the rebate statute so that vaccines were included would mean guaranteed coverage for all beneficiaries and would mean that Medicaid would get steep discounts. 2/4

Adding vaccines to the rebate statute would also ensure Medicaid coverage for the COVID-19 vaccine once the public health emergency ends. As of 2019, only about half of state Medicaid programs covered all ACIP-recommended vaccines for all adults. 3/4

Kids on Medicaid get their vaccines through the Vaccines for Children program, so this does not impact them. More on Medicaid and VFC coverage of vaccines is in this KFF brief. The Medicaid section is thanks to Medicaid Rx guru @_rachel_dolan. 4/4 https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/vaccine-coverage-pricing-and-reimbursement-in-the-u-s/