COVID-19 Vaccine Access in Long-Term Care Settings

Mary Madison, RN, RAC-CT, CDP
Clinical Consultant – Briggs Healthcare

The federal government is committed to ensuring that residents and staff in long-term care settings, such as nursing homes, assisted living, residential care communities, group homes and senior housing, have access to COVID-19 vaccines to get primary series and booster shots.

Long-term care providers are encouraged to consider the option that works best for their residents and staff when coordinating access to COVID-19 vaccines, either in the local community or on-site. The CDC has additional details on these options. Find Medicare billing and payment information.

As a reminder, through enforcement discretion, CMS will allow Medicare-enrolled immunizers, including but not limited to pharmacies working with the United States, to bill directly and get direct reimbursement from the Medicare program for vaccinating Medicare skilled nursing facility residents.

These rates reflect updated information about the costs involved in administering the COVID-19 vaccine for different types of providers and suppliers and the additional resources you need to safely and appropriately administer the vaccine.

For all COVID-19 vaccine payment rates listed above, we (CMS) also geographically adjust the rates based on where you administer the vaccine.