Shingles!

Thank you all!

You should also make sure that your insurance covers at the particular pharmacy. I fill my prescriptions at one place but my health insurance doesn’t cover vaccines there, so I have to go to a different place

Feverish symptoms are subsiding but I do have a 2 inch diameter rash and tenderness at injection site. I don’t think I had the rash with the first one.

I’ve checked all the pharmacies in this area. I’m a Medicare person…and not one covers Shingrix. At all. We will be paying out of pocket.

Weird—H and my folks are all on Medicare and all got their Shingrix shots paid 100% between their Medicare and their private insurance that acts as their supplement. Mine shot under private insurance was also covered @100%.

We are Medicare and our shots were covered. They are a whole lot cheaper than getting Shingles.

My arm is very sore and I have been a little tired. I actually took a nap today, which is very rare for me.
I am wondering if getting Shingrix vaccine for my mIL, in her 90’s, is worthwhile.

@thumper1 I believe it is covered under the Medicare part D prescription plan, not part A or B. Check with Part D or whatever supplemental prescription plan you may have.

I got my folks 89/94 to both get the vaccine. Don’t want them to suffer through shingles—why put anyone through that unnecessarily. Neither complained of side effects from the shots. I didn’t have much, other than sore arm near site of shot.

We have Express Scripts for RX. Every single person I know that has my plan, has had to pay for this shot.

Have you looked up Shingrix on “Price Medications” on the Express Scripts website? Mine says it’s covered 100%.

My insurance covers it but I had to pay in full to CVS and submit a medical claim form for reimbursement. Check directly with your insurance provider about it; CVS had no clue and was not helpful - their computer was giving messages such as “insurer’s coverage no longer active”. This is how I know that my CVS has had a supply all summer, because I had to iron out the insurance part on my end before I received the vaccine. CVS is my HMO’s capitated site for other meds so not sure why the need for the paperwork loop for the vaccination.

@thumper1 , Big Y in Torrington has the shingrix vaccine, they said sometimes Express Scripts covers it, but they have to run the card to see.

@ECmotherx2 Thank you! I will check that out tomorrow!

My D who is in pharmacy school told me to get the Shingrix shot. Local pharmacy had a wait list but my family doctor had the vaccine.
I got the first shot in April and the second shot in August. There was tenderness and swelling at the injection site and muscle pain in that arm when I moved it for two days. I took some Aleve which helped some and rubbed Biofreeze on my arm. I was a bit nauseous and very tired, the second time I had chills as well.
UPMC insurance covered the shot.

Wife got her second shot today. (First was in early June). She paid $140+something for the first one, and $170+something today! Our cheap Medicare drug plan covered none of it. As a one time expense (ok, times 2) it’s not a big deal.

I paid for the zostervax shot (before Shingrex). I was only 50 at the time and insurer refused to cover but I felt the under $200 I paid Costco for it was money well spent.

@NJres, I can’t figure out DH’s supplemental Medicare plan. It costs us zero dollars a month and seems to cover everything. We haven’t paid a penny for meds or doctor’s visits in five months.

The broker we worked with setting up H’s supplement plan and Part D Medicare plan asked if we wanted a plan that covered Shingrex vaccine . H already received the vaccine , so he decided on an Express script part D plan for $14 month with minimum cost for generic monthly meds .

My doctor office actually gave me the old shingles shot and it was fully covered. The docs office is not getting Shingrix…I suspect if I had it done at the docs office, it would be covered. Actually, they told me it would be!

I need to check the Minute Clinic or someplace that uses NPs or PAs to administer Shingrix. The CVS Target pharmacist told me that Express Scripts does not view pharmacists as “medical providers” and that is the reason they give for not paying for it at Target Pharmacy.