People looking to get their new COVID-19 vaccine are feeling sore over hefty unexpected charges for the federally-recommended shot.
Customers nationwide at pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS who landed appointments for the jab this week were shocked to learn they would feel the additional pinch of three-figure fees for their boosters.
“Nightmare is the first word that comes to mind,” Acton, Massachusetts, resident Glen Cote told WBZ-TV after he learned his new booster would run him $190.99.
It’s a complaint echoed by dozens of social media users after pharmacies dinged patients anywhere from between $125 to $200 for the latest boosters.
Some pharmacists even reached out to customers to warn them about the eye-popping fees and recommend they reschedule their appointments.
The unexpected out-of-pocket costs are in part the result of pharmacies fighting over market share for the new vaccine, The Albany Times Union reported.
Chains like CVS and Walgreens hurriedly placed orders for the latest jabs, which were approved by the Food and Drug Administration last week, before some insurance plans updated their systems for the new shots’ billing codes.
“Some payers are still updating their systems and may not yet be set up to cover the updated COVID-19 vaccines,” a CVS spokesperson told WBZ.
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