Health Insurance Covers Vaccines for Teens

There’s a growing number of vaccinations that pre-teens and teens need to have. For many parents, these are somewhat new mainly because most parents didn’t have to receive them when they were younger. Perhaps you remember those days of having your infant child getting shots and you thought it was over then. But, additional vaccinations have become the recommended norm. Will your health insurance company cover the costs for these vaccinations?

Determining Need

In nearly all cases, health insurance can cover necessary vaccinations. That’s because it is far less expensive to provide the shot than it is to have to battle a long illness, which can happen if you don’t get the care you need. However, there are protocols in place that outline when and what type of shot you’ll need your child to obtain. Here’s a quick look at the most common vaccinations:

• Teens often need a second dose of varicella or chickenpox even if they’ve received one when younger.
  
  
• Hepatitis A and B may be necessary.
  
  
• Most teens will need to have the influenza shot. This is given to people every year.
  
  
• HPV, or Human papillomavirus, is another type of necessary shot, usually given for the first time at 11 or 12.
  
  
• Some teens need boosters for measles, mumps and rubella.
  
  
• Meningococcal is often given to teens, with a first dose at 11 or 12 and a second dose around age 16.

If a vaccination falls in line with doctor recommendations, your health insurance is likely to cover it as long as your policy provides wellness care. You can find out if this is the case by simply reading through your policy and learning more about the specific features of your plan. Because this is generally a type of preventative care measure, it may be a part of the routine exam and care that your policy provides.

Talk to your health insurance provider about your coverage questions. You’ll learn exactly what you can expect from this type of appointment and vaccination. If you don’t have health insurance, it may be beneficial to get a plan in place. Most children will need ongoing and routine medical care throughout their childhood years.