Free shingles vaccines for seniors are a blessing

Rising health care costs are top of mind for many seniors like me. Many of us are on fixed incomes and are struggling to afford our care. That’s why millions of people forgo critical vaccinations, including for shingles.

I was going to be one of those seniors to put off getting a shingles vaccination because of the expense, even though I was on Medicare. Medicare enrollees were paying up to $424 for the vaccination — a huge burden for people on a fixed income. But when a few friends got shingles and encouraged me to get vaccinated, I forked over hundreds of dollars to do so. I wanted no part of the pain brought on by shingles, even if it did hurt my wallet.

But, thanks to President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress, help is here for seniors. Because of the Inflation Reduction Act that passed last year, shingles vaccinations are now free to everyone on Medicare. This is a game changer for more than 61 million Medicare beneficiaries who now have access to no-cost shingled vaccines.

A third of Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime, with the risk increasing as you grow older. Symptoms of shingles include a painful rash, itching, fever, headache, chills and nausea. It can also lead to serious complications such as long-term nerve pain, blindness and brain inflammation. These complications are preventable with the vaccine.

The Inflation Reduction Act does even more to help lower health care costs for seniors on Medicare, too. It drives down prescription drug prices by giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, limiting the cost of insulin to $35 a month for people on Medicare and capping senior out-of-pocket prescription drug costs. This is money back in seniors’ pockets and can be put toward necessities like food and rent.

For too long, Big Pharma and insurance companies have forced millions of Americans to make tough decisions every day: choosing between paying the bills or affording the drugs they need to survive. I’m grateful that Biden and Nevada’s Democratic senators and representatives recognized the increasing cost of health care causes many people to forgo the crucial care they need and did something about it.