Vaccine costs - ouch!

Vaccine costs have skyrocketed. My doctor recently advised me to get both shingles and pneumococcal vaccines, saying her assistant could administer the latter during my office visit, but that I would need to get the shingles shot from the pharmacy. I didn’t think to ask how much it cost, and got a surprise bill (for $328) for the pneumococcal vaccine. I certainly didn’t know it would be $88 cheaper if I paid cash for it at my pharmacy.

$328 for a vaccine is ludicrous. Getting a surprise bill two months after the appointment is also ludicrous in this digital world. To add insult to injury, the bill was coded wrong. Instead of pneumococcal vaccine, it listed “vaccine for intramuscular use.” Premera, denied the charges but allowed $45 for “administration of the pneumococcal vaccine.” It took 4-5 phone calls (one to a telemarketer in Asia) taking several hours to get the bill straightened out, and I work full time.

Last week I got a shingles shot at the pharmacy. Surprise again ($175). It was considered a “Tier 3 drug” in Premera’s formulary, and, thus, an out-of-pocket expense.

I’m not against vaccines — but the costs could literally kill you.

Joan Kopczynski

Spokane