Covering the Bases: Making sense of what Medicare covers

A: I am confused about what part of Medicare covers my vaccines. My annual flu shot is billed under Medicare Part B, but my shingles vaccine is billed under my Medicare Part D.

A: Your confusion is justified. There are no hard and fast rules about how Medicare will cover vaccines. You are correct that your annual flu shot is covered under Medicare Part B. The pneumococcal vaccine, to prevent pneumonia, is also covered under Medicare Part B. Other vaccines that are billed under Medicare Part B are the Hepatitis B and the tetanus vaccine (if given to treat an injury). However, the vaccine to prevent...