Neighbors,
The county's Health Department and my office have received questions from residents regarding transportation assistance to vaccination sites. If you or someone you know needs help getting to their vaccine appointment, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services has put together a list of numerous options, which are noted below. In addition, there is information from the Health Department regarding requests for insurance information from vaccine providers.
After a long winter, the news on the pandemic and vaccines is getting brighter and your continued patience is appreciated.
Respectfully,
Walter
Transportation Assistance to Vaccine Sites
For older adults, people on limited incomes or individuals with disabilities, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services offers a subsidized taxi voucher program; visit the Human Services Transportation website to apply for vouchers. To schedule your vaccine transportation, call the Health Department Vaccine Call Center at 703-324-7404, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You will need to provide your name, phone number, date and time of vaccine appointment, and appointment address as well as your home address. Once the call center confirms eligibility, they will contact the Human Services Transportation team to arrange transportation.
The following community organizations are providing volunteer transportation to older adults:
If you have not yet scheduled your vaccine appointment and are eligible to register, please register using our county system. The registration process collects basic information so your eligibility can be confirmed and then you can be added to the waitlist. Please be aware that Virginia has launched a statewide vaccine pre-registration system. However, the Fairfax Health District (Fairfax County, the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church, and the towns of Vienna, Herndon, and Clifton) will not be participating in the system at this time. Do not use the statewide system to register for a vaccine from the Fairfax County Health Department.
What to Know About Free Vaccine, Health Insurance and Admin Fees
- The COVID-19 vaccine is free for everyone.
- Vaccine providers have the option to charge insurance an administrative fee.
- Vaccine has zero out-of-pocket costs.
- Uninsured can access vaccine same as the insured.
The federal government is providing the vaccine free of charge to all people living in the United States. No one will have to pay any fees for the vaccine.
Providing COVID-19 vaccines in a clinic setting is not without cost to the provider. So, the federal government allows vaccine providers to be reimbursed for vaccine administration fees by a person’s public or private insurance company. It helps to defray costs associated with this increased service. This is why some vaccine providers might ask for insurance information – it is so they can collect the administrative fee. No one will be charged any out-of-pocket expenses by a vaccinator or by insurance.
There are multiple vaccine partners in the Fairfax Health District who are helping in the monumental task of getting all eligible individuals vaccinated, including pharmacies and medical providers. Each might have its own registration process, which may or may not include an ask for insurance information.
Regardless of the provider’s registration process, it is important that you complete it and take the steps to be vaccinated. If you have questions or concerns about the registration, you can always call the vaccine provider.
People who do not have health insurance follow the exact same process to get vaccinated as those who have insurance. If your vaccine provider requests insurance information but you do not have it, just say so. Being uninsured has no impact on your ability to be vaccinated.
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