Does Medicare cover the shingles vaccine?
Yes, and for free, but only through the drug side of Medicare. That distinction is why some people still get a bill. Here's how to make sure you don't.
Yes. Since January 1, 2023, every Medicare drug plan (a stand-alone Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage) must cover the shingles vaccine, Shingrix, with no deductible and no copay, because federal law now requires $0 cost-sharing for all vaccines recommended for adults. Both doses are free. The catch is that shingles is a Part D vaccine, not a Part B one: if you have Original Medicare with no drug plan, it isn't covered at all, and if you get it at a doctor's office that doesn't bill your drug plan you may pay up front and have to claim it back. The reliable route is a pharmacy in your drug plan's network.
Part B vaccines versus Part D vaccines
Medicare splits vaccines between two parts. Part B covers the flu shot, pneumococcal vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines and hepatitis B for people at medium or high risk, plus vaccines needed after an injury or exposure (a tetanus shot after a cut). Everything else recommended for adults, including shingles (Shingrix), Tdap, RSV and travel vaccines, is Part D, covered by your drug plan. Since January 1, 2023, under the Inflation Reduction Act, Part D plans must cover all adult vaccines recommended by the CDC's advisory committee at $0, with no deductible, so both Shingrix doses are free to anyone with a drug plan.
How to get it without a bill
- Have a drug plan. A stand-alone Part D plan alongside Original Medicare, or an Advantage plan that includes drug coverage (most do). No drug plan, no coverage.
- Use a network pharmacy. Pharmacies bill Part D directly; you pay nothing at the counter. Most chain and independent pharmacies in the Capital Region are in most plans' networks, but check yours.
- Doctor's office: possible, but the office must be able to bill your drug plan. If it can't, you pay the full price (well over $200 a dose at list) and file a claim with your plan for reimbursement. Ask before the needle.
- Book the second dose two to six months later; it's covered the same way.
People who fall through
- Original Medicare with no Part D plan. Some people skip Part D because they take no medications. The shingles vaccine, the Part D late-enrollment penalty and the possibility of a costly prescription next year are the three reasons I usually talk them out of it; the cheapest Part D plans in the region cost very little. See Part D plans.
- Employer or retiree drug coverage instead of Part D. Coverage depends on that plan's rules; many cover Shingrix at $0 too, but confirm.
- Extra Help recipients: covered at $0 like everyone else.
Related coverage questions
RSV and Tdap follow the same Part D rule; the flu, pneumonia and COVID-19 shots are free under Part B at any provider that takes Medicare. For the rest of what Original Medicare does and doesn't pay for, see dental, hearing aids and the other guides in this series, or ask.
- Shingles shots (Medicare.gov) — covered by Part D at no cost
- Vaccines (Medicare.gov) — Part B vaccines vs Part D vaccines
- Shingles vaccination (CDC) — two doses, 2–6 months apart, adults 50+
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
Is the shingles vaccine free with Medicare?
With a Medicare drug plan, yes: $0 for both doses of Shingrix, no deductible, since 2023. Under Original Medicare without a Part D plan it isn't covered, because Part B pays only for flu, pneumococcal, COVID-19 and, for people at risk, hepatitis B vaccines. Shingles, Tdap, RSV and most other adult vaccines are Part D vaccines.
Where should I get it?
At a pharmacy in your drug plan's network; the pharmacist bills the plan and you pay nothing. Doctors' offices can give it but many can't bill Part D directly, so you may be asked to pay and submit a claim to the plan for reimbursement. Ask first.
How many doses, and how far apart?
Two doses of Shingrix, two to six months apart, recommended for adults 50 and over and for adults 19 and over with weakened immune systems, even if you had shingles before or had the older Zostavax vaccine. Both doses are covered at $0.
No drug plan yet?
If you're on Original Medicare without Part D, the shingles vaccine is one of many reasons to fix that. I'll price the Part D plans in your county against your prescriptions; no fee.