Does Medicare Cover Hepatitis B Vaccination?

Hepatitis B vaccinations are considered a preventive service covered by Medicare Part B medical insurance.

To qualify, you must be enrolled in Medicare and meet Medicare’s definition of medium or high risk for the virus. Your doctor makes the determination of your eligibility based on a list of medical conditions and other factors that increase your risk.

As for costs, the Inflation Reduction Act will make your hepatitis B and A vaccine free for people with Medicare prescription drug coverage in 2023. This new vaccine coverage determined that Part D-covered adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will no longer have a deductible or cost-sharing. Hepatitis B is on ACIP’s list of vaccine reccomendations and guidelines.

If your doctor determines you are at medium or high risk, you will pay nothing for the hepatitis B shot so long as your doctor or other qualified health care provider giving you the vaccination accepts Medicare.

Medicare Advantage plans will also pay for your shot since these private plans are required to cover everything Medicare Part A and Part B cover.

Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver condition in the world, according to the Hepatitis B Foundation. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus which is transmitted through blood or other bodily fluids.

Though it’s preventable and treatable, as many as a million people globally die every year from hepatitis B. You may have the infection — even a chronic case — and still show no signs of infection.

Left untreated, it can develop into a serious liver condition such as cirrhosis or liver cancer.

The hepatitis B vaccine is considered one of the safest vaccinations available — with more than 1 billion hepatitis B vaccinations given since the first one was introduced. It’s also considered the first anti-cancer vaccine since it can prevent liver cancer caused by the hepatitis B virus.

There are multiple brands of hepatitis B vaccines. These are typically delivered in a three-dose schedule, but a recent version of the vaccine is delivered in just two shots.

In 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new hepatitis B vaccine for adults 18 and older which requires only two shots. The brand name is Heplisav-B and the two doses are given one month apart.

There are five different types of hepatitis (A through E). There are vaccinations available only for hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

Starting on January 1, 2023, Medicare will cover hepatitis B and hepatitis A vaccinations since they are on ACIP’s list of vaccine reccomendations and guidelines. You have to have Medicare perscription drug coverage to access this benefit. This means you can be enrolled in either Part D or Medicare Advantage. 

Hepatitis B and C are the most common types of hepatitis. There is no vaccination against hepatitis C, but Medicare does cover screening for hepatitis C.