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The wife and I both got the shot when we turned 65 and our Medicare Part D insurance, which we pay for, covered all but $35 each and without the Part D insurance the cost would have been $230 each. Each insurance company have different tier levels for the Zostavax shot so you have to check their formulary. That was about 3 years ago and the information at that time was 60 to 70% affective in preventing shingles. After seeing my sister in her 50's go through all the severe pain lasting 3 months we decided it was worth the money with or without the insurance. You have to check your health insurance's preventive care area to see what's covered. I say get the shot if you are late 50's or older.
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Lizabeth wrote:
[quote=N-OS X-tasy!]
[quote=Lizabeth]
Just found out my health insurance wasn't covering a flu shot given by a pharmacy 
Who told you that, your insurance provider or the pharmacy? Just recently I read an article in the L.A. Times about pharmacies that scam customers by telling them their health insurance does not cover flu vaccinations when in fact they do:
http://articles.latimes.com/2013/oct/24/...s-20131025
Was the pharmacy after running my insurance card which is why I'm still on hold waiting to talk to the insurance people...
And the pharmacy people gave me a printout that showed the rejection so...we'll see
I recommend contacting your insurance company yourself to resolve this question.
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I had a very small outbreak of the shingles a couple of years ago. Initially, I felt a strange pain in my upper back — like I'd pulled a muscle or something, only deeper and sharper. I actually went and got a brief massage of that area of my back and shoulder, to no positive effect.
A few weeks later, the blisters in the same spot where I'd felt the back/shoulder pain. We were traveling at the time, so we were worried I'd been bitten by bedbugs! We had a nervous last few days of our trip, checking the bedding and luggage really thoroughly for any unwanted hitchhikers.
I'll probably get the vaccine in a few years, but I have to say I have a healthy skepticism about the necessity of any prescription drug or vaccine that advertises on TV.
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riley5108 wrote:
The wife and I both got the shot when we turned 65 and our Medicare Part D insurance, which we pay for, covered all but $35 each and without the Part D insurance the cost would have been $230 each. Each insurance company have different tier levels for the Zostavax shot so you have to check their formulary. That was about 3 years ago and the information at that time was 60 to 70% affective in preventing shingles. After seeing my sister in her 50's go through all the severe pain lasting 3 months we decided it was worth the money with or without the insurance. You have to check your health insurance's preventive care area to see what's covered. I say get the shot if you are late 50's or older.
I got one about two months ago and my medicare part D coverage from United Health (AARP) covered it but with a $70 co-pay on my part, still cheap prevention. I got the shot at Walgreen pharmacy which is a preferred provider for my plan D coverage.
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My wife got shingles in her early 50s. We were driving back from Mexico City in late July when it hit half way back and she thought it was just a heat issue between her and the car seat. She was in agony by the time we got home. I got the shot at my next physical.
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Anybody know if it's recommended if you're younger than 50, but with a somewhat impaired immune system?
