GSA Applauds Inclusion of Vaccine Provisions in Inflation Reduction Act

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) — the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — commends Congress and the Biden-Harris Administration for the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which will help close longstanding gaps in vaccination coverage in Medicare and Medicaid.

Beginning in 2023, the new law will remove barriers for many to receive recommended vaccines, greatly improving access and utilization by mandating:

• First dollar coverage (no copays or out-of-pocket expenses) of adult vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices under Medicare Part D; and,?

• Access for adults to vaccines under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program by providing a federal baseline for first dollar coverage and an enhanced federal reimbursement for immunizing providers.

GSA has been a strong advocate for the inclusion of such provisions, and has worked as a leader in the Adult Vaccine Access Coalition (AVAC) to advance the passage of related legislation, including the Protecting Seniors Through Vaccination Act and Helping Adults Protect Immunity Act.

Until the passage of the IRA, some Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries were faced with high out-of-pocket costs for vaccinations — hindering our nation’s disease prevention efforts and putting millions of Americans at risk of becoming sick or dying from vaccine-preventable diseases.

GSA joins other AVAC members in recognizing that vaccines are vital to protecting and preserving the health and economic well-being of older adults, the chronically ill, and entire communities. GSA hosts the National Adult Vaccination Program to improve adult immunization rates. During the past decade, GSA has convened and collaborated with the multidisciplinary stakeholder community to raise awareness of the natural immunosenescence that occurs as we age — advocating for policies that are favorable to the access of vaccines and training champions to stimulate vaccination policies and rates.

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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society — and its 5,500+ members — is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA’s structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society.