April 1, 2020

The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader
U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Charles Schumer Minority Leader
U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Minority Leaders Schumer and McCarthy:

We, the undersigned organizations that care about healthy aging, write to offer our strong support for the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act (H.R. 5076/S. 1872), and urge Congress to include this important legislation in an upcoming pandemic response package. This bipartisan legislation, which was introduced by Representatives Shalala, Bouchon, Kuster and Roe, would address a long-standing structural inequity that hinders immunization opportunities for Medicare beneficiaries, a cost-effective means of reducing disease burden and saving lives.

The Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act will address the out-of-pocket payment required of Medicare beneficiaries, many of whom are on fixed incomes. Copayments apply to vaccines covered under Medicare Part D (tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) and varicella zoster (shingles)) but not vaccines under Part B (flu, pneumococcal), which are available with no cost to the beneficiary. The bill will also improve education and access to recommended vaccines for Medicare beneficiaries, with the goal of helping to increase vaccination rates.

This legislation is especially important in the wake of coronavirus public health crisis. As part of our public health preparedness we need to fix Medicare Part D. Older adults are at particular risk for serious illness and those 50 and older, particularly with multiple comorbidities, are at higher risk of dying if infected. Fixing structural inequities in vaccine coverage now through passage of the Protecting Seniors Through Immunization Act will provide a clear and direct financial and health benefit for people age 65 and over and will help to improve our national preparedness among the Medicare population.

Thank you for your leadership in swiftly addressing the serious health and economic challenges facing our nation during this uncertain time. We stand ready to work with you toward to improve vaccine access to a future COVID-19 vaccine as well as all recommended vaccines for the Medicare population.

Sincerely,

Advanced Practice Nursing

African American Health Alliance

Alliance for Aging Research

Alliance for Immunizations in Michigan (AIM)

American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA)

American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association

American Behcet’s Disease Association

American College of Preventive Medicine

American Immunization Registry

Association American Kidney Fund

American Lung Association

American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP)

American Society on Aging

AOHP

Arthur Caplan, PhD, NYU Langone Health

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations

Association of Immunization Managers

Black Women’s Health Imperative

Blank Children’s Hospital

California Immunization Coalition

Caregiver Action Network

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

COPD Foundation

Dane County Immunization Coalition

Dba Avalon Health Care Center

Families Fighting Flu

Forward Pharmacy

Forward Pharmacy of Columbus

Freddi Segal, GIDAN, Member of AAPA, GSA, and AGS

Geriatric Medicine Physician Assistants

Harris Teeter Pharmacy

Harvard University

HealthHIV

Healthy Solutions, Inc.

HealthyWomen

Hep B United

Hepatitis B Foundation

Idaho Immunization Coalition

Immune Deficiency Foundation

Immunization Action Coalition

Immunize Colorado

Immunize Nevada

ImmunizeOhio

ImmunizeTN

Indiana Immunization Coalition

Infectious Disease Epidemiologist

Infectious Diseases Society of America

Institute for Public Health Innovation

Justice in Aging

Keck School of Medicine

Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, inc.

Men’s Health Network

National Association of County and City Health Officials

National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP)

National Black Nurses Association

National Caucus and Center on Black Aging

National Consumers League

National Council on Aging

National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)

National Grange

National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA)

National Hispanic Medical Association

National Organization for Rare Disorders

National Urban League

National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable

North Carolina Immunization Coalition

Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation

Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition

Retiresafe

Sioux Falls Area Immunization Coalition

STChealth LLC

The Arizona Partnership for Immunization

The Gerontological Society of America

The Immunization Partnership

Trust for America’s Health

Tulsa Area Immunization Coalition

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

University of Iowa College of Public Health

University of Pennsylvania

University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health

UPH-Meriter Mckee Clinic Pediatrics

Utah Adult Immunization Coalition

Vaccinate Your Family

Vaccine Ambassadors

Virginia Barrette

Walmart

WV Immunization Network, a program of The Center for Rural Health Development, Inc.

WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

cc:
Chairman Grassley, Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Wyden, Senate Finance Committee
Chairman Pallone, House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Walden, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Neal, House Ways & Means Committee
Ranking Member Brady, House Ways & Means Committee