Bucshon bipartisan bill would help seniors fight shingles

U.S. Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) last week introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to ensure that senior citizens receive Medicare Part D coverage for the shingles vaccine without out-of-pocket costs.

The Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act of 2017 was cosponsored by Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) in the House of Representatives. U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) introduced a Senate companion measure.

“Shingles is a painful disease that affects nearly 1 million Americans annually, with one out of three Americans developing shingles during their lifetime,” said Bucshon. “However, the risk of getting shingles is significantly higher for individuals who are 50 years of age and older.”

Bucshon, a physician, said that according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of adults developing shingles is on the rise.

“The great news is that seniors can protect themselves from shingles simply by receiving a vaccine,” he said. “The bad news is that too few seniors receive the vaccine or don’t even know that it’s an option.”

Vaccines for the flu and pneumonia are completely covered by Medicare Part B, however the shingles vaccine falls under Part D and thus senior citizens can face additional costs for that immunization, according to Medicare.gov. Yet, as Bucshon also notes, the CDC recommends that persons aged 60 and older be immunized for shingles.

H.R. 4297 would require that the costs associated with the shingles vaccine under Medicare Part D be treated consistently with vaccines covered under Part B, and therefore result in no out-of-pocket costs for seniors. It would also promote additional education by requiring the “Medicare & You” handbook include information on senior citizen vaccinations.

Some two-dozen health and seniors organizations, as well as pharmaceutical firms, have endorsed the bill. Among them are the Gerontological Society of America, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Merck and Pfizer.