TL/DR –
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) aims to reduce healthcare costs for older adults by eliminating cost-sharing for certain medicines and vaccines covered by Medicare Part D. The implementation of the IRA policy in January 2023 resulted in a 46% increase in shingles vaccinations covered by Part D compared to the previous year, according to a study by a team led by Dima Qato from the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The study also found that shingles vaccinations among people with private coverage decreased by 21% during the same period, from 374,176 per month to 295,231.
Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Shingles Vaccination Rates
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) hopes to lower health care costs for older adults by eradicating cost sharing for particular drugs and vaccines, including those covered by Medicare Part D. A team led by Dima Qato from the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences assessed the policy’s effects on the uptake of shingles vaccines.
In a research letter published in JAMA, the results indicated a 46% increase in shingles vaccinations under Part D coverage following the policy’s implementation in January 2023.
As the risk of the viral infection shingles, affecting one in three people nationally, increases with age, doctors advise adults 50 and older to take the shingles vaccine. In contrast, the team found a 21% drop in shingles vaccinations amongst those with private insurance.
Qato, who also oversees the Mann School’s Program on Medicines and Public Health, believes the policy is a step forward. “Policies that remove the costs, eliminate barriers in accessing essential medications and preventive services, such as vaccinations,” she says.
Study co-author A. Mark Fendrick from the University of Michigan asserts that these findings confirm that reducing out-of-pocket costs enhances the uptake of beneficial clinical services. He suggests that similar policies promoting financial accessibility can improve health and equity.
The study utilized data from retail pharmacies, where 80% of shingles vaccines are administered. The team emphasizes that further research is necessary to ascertain the policy’s efficacy in bridging vaccination rate disparities.
Qato highlights the need to examine the policy’s impact on equity since more pharmacies are located in higher-income, predominantly white neighborhoods. She believes it’s crucial to ensure that cost-sharing elimination helps reduce and not worsen disparities in shingles vaccination rates.
The co-authors of the study include USC Mann Associate Professor John A. Romley, Rebecca Myerson, and Dana Goldman from the Schaeffer Center.
More information:
Dima M. Qato et al, Shingles Vaccination in Medicare Part D After Inflation Reduction Act Elimination of Cost Sharing, JAMA (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2024.7348
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