July 28, 2025

Casten, Schrier Urge Insurers to Maintain Vaccine Coverage

The Letter Comes in Response to the Dangerous Firing of the Entire CDC Committee that recommends vaccines, influences insurance coverage

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06) and Kim Schrier, MD(WA-08) led 77 House Democrats in a letter to top health insurance companies urging them to continue to provide coverage for vaccines currently recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

In June 2025, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired all 17 members of ACIP. This was alarming, given Secretary Kennedy’s longstanding history of vaccine skepticism and cozy relationships with the anti-vaccine community. In fact, he immediately appointed several vaccine opponents to the advisory committee and made independent changes to vaccine recommendations with no scientific basis. In addition to concerns about public health, this raises concerns that insurers might not cover the cost of vaccines if they no longer have the official ACIP recommendation. 

“Insurance coverage for high quality, effective vaccines without cost sharing for beneficiaries is a critical component of ensuring vaccine uptake, and protecting public health,” the members wrote. “...Secretary Kennedy announced the sudden ouster of all seventeen members of ACIP, and pledged to replace them with appointees who would restore ‘public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda.’ This announcement, taken in the context of Secretary Kennedy’s longstanding history of vaccine skepticism, has caused concern that under Secretary Kennedy’s influence, ACIP may re-evaluate its support for time-tested, safe, and effective vaccines.”

Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, insurance plans subject to preventative services requirements have been required to cover routine vaccinations, which are recommended by ACIP and adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of its vaccine schedule. Insurance coverage for high-quality, effective vaccines without cost sharing for beneficiaries is a critical component of ensuring vaccine uptake and protecting public health.

In addition to Reps. Casten and Schrier, the letter was signed by Reps. Auchincloss, Jake; Balint, Becca; Barragán, Nanette; Bera, Ami; Beyer, Donald; Brownley, Julia; Budzinski, Nikki; Carter, Troy; Casten, Sean; Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila; Chu, Judy; Cisneros, Gilbert; Clarke, Yvette; Cleaver, Emanuel; Cohen, Steve; Correa, J.; Courtney, Joe; Craig, Angie; Davis, Danny; Dean, Madeleine; DelBene, Suzan; Deluzio, Christopher; Dexter, Maxine; Dingell, Debbie; Elfreth, Sarah; Evans, Dwight; Foster, Bill; Frost, Maxwell; Garamendi, John; García, Jesús; Garcia, Robert; Garcia, Sylvia; Huffman, Jared; Jackson, Jonathan; Jayapal, Pramila; Johnson, Henry; Johnson, Julie; Khanna, Ro; Krishnamoorthi, Raja; Landsman, Greg; Larsen, Rick; Latimer, George; Lynch, Stephen; Magaziner, Seth; Mannion, John; Matsui, Doris; McBath, Lucy; McBride, Sarah; McClellan, Jennifer; McIver, LaMonica; Menendez, Robert; Moore, Gwen; Morrison, Kelly; Norton, Eleanor; Pingree, Chellie; Pocan, Mark; Quigley, Mike; Ramirez, Delia; Schakowsky, Janice; Schneider, Bradley; Scholten, Hillary; Schrier, Kim; Sewell, Terri; Simon, Lateefah; Soto, Darren; Thanedar, Shri; Thompson, Bennie; Thompson, Mike; Tlaib, Rashida; Tokuda, Jill; Tonko, Paul; Trahan, Lori; Underwood, Lauren; Vasquez, Gabe; Velázquez, Nydia; Watson Coleman, Bonnie; and Williams, Nikema.

The letter was sent to the CEOs of United Health Group, Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Elevance Health, The Cigna Group, and Health Care Service Corporation.

A copy of the letter can be found here. Text of the letter can be found below.

Dear Mr. Hemsley, Ms. Boudreaux, Mr. Joyner, Mr. Cordani, Mr. Adams, Mr. Smith and Ms. Keck:

Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, insurance plans subject to preventative services requirements have been required to cover routine vaccinations, which are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and adopted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of its vaccine schedule. Insurance coverage for high quality, effective vaccines without cost sharing for beneficiaries is a critical component of ensuring vaccine uptake, and protecting public health.

The ACIP consists of a panel of public health and medical experts who assess FDA-approved vaccines and make a recommendation to the CDC based on the balance of evidence as to whether new vaccines should be recommended. The ACIP has been assessing immunizations for 60 years, and convenes regularly and transparently to discuss its recommendations. The CDC and industry alike have historically followed the recommendations of ACIP because the committee is the nonpartisan gold standard voice of public health on issues of immunization.

Nonetheless, on June 1, 2025, Secretary Kennedy announced the sudden ouster of all seventeen members of ACIP, and pledged to replace them with appointees who would restore “public trust above any specific pro- or anti-vaccine agenda.” This announcement, taken in the context of Secretary Kennedy’s longstanding history of vaccine skepticism, has caused concern that under Secretary Kennedy’s influence, ACIP may re-evaluate its support for timetested, safe, and effective vaccines.

As of June 2025, at the recommendation of ACIP, insurers subject to preventative services coverage requirements are obligated to provide age appropriate coverage for high-impact vaccines, including those for COVID-19, hepatitis, HPV, measles, meningitis, flu, pneumonia, RSV, chicken pox, mpox, and shingles. Insurance coverage of these routine vaccinations ensures that deadly and dangerous diseases remain controlled, and the American people are protected.

On June 23, 2025, Politico reported that insurers have been put in a challenging position, without clear guidance on which vaccines to cover if ACIP’s recommendations change. Granted anonymity, insurers expressed willingness to follow the science regardless of tumult within ACIP.

Given the likelihood of conflicting and politically-influenced guidance that may now come from ACIP, we ask that you promptly respond to the following questions:

  1. Will you commit to continuing to provide coverage, without cost-sharing, for vaccines approved by ACIP prior to June 24, 2025, if ACIP changes its recommendations?

  2. In lieu of some scientifically dubious recommendations from the newly appointed ACIP, will you instead commit to covering evidence-based vaccination schedules recommended by a preponderance of trusted experts at national medical societies?

Thank you for your prompt response to these questions. We look forward to working together to ensure continued access to safe and effective vaccines.

Sincerely,

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