The flu vaccine is even more important for our elderly loved ones in this the year of the coronavirus pandemic. Do make sure that your loved ones get vaccinated, as flu alone can be deadly, and it will help slow down community spread to other elderly and vulnerable persons.
Medicare Part B covers a flu shot at CVS, and there is no deductible or coinsurance to pay. CVS is Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment, meaning you will have nothing to pay. CVS should bill Medicare directly. Medicare covers one flu shot per flu season only.
Contents Overview & Quicklinks
Which flu vaccines is CVS offering ?
How do I arrange my flu shot at CVS ?
What do flu vaccines cost at CVS without insurance ?
Why are flu shots so important for the elderly ?
What types of flu vaccine are there ?
Does Medicare pay for the quadrivalent flu vaccine ?
What other vaccines does CVS offer ?
Does Medicare cover flu shots at Costco ?
Which flu vaccines is Costco offering ?
How do I organize my flu shot at Costco ?
What do flu vaccines cost at Costco without insurance ?
Does Medicare pay for flu shots at a pharmacy ?
Does Medicare pay for flu shots at Walgreens ?
How to arrange your flu shot at Walgreens ?
Without insurance, how much is a flu shot at Walgreens ?
Does Medicare cover flu shots at Walmart ?
How to arrange your flu shot at Walmart ?
How much is a Walmart flu vaccine without insurance ?
Does Medicare cover flu shots at Rite Aid ?
How to organize your flu shot at Rite Aid ?
What does a flu vaccine at Rite Aid cost without insurance ?
Which flu vaccines are CVS and MinuteClinic offering ?
CVS and MinuteClinic offer the following Influenza Vaccines –
- Quadrivalent flu vaccine
- Fluzone High-Dose for the 65’s and older
How do I arrange my flu shot at CVS ?
To sort out your vaccination at CVS or MinuteClinic you need to –
- locate a CVS pharmacy or a minute Clinic near you
- digitally provide necessary information and consent beforehand if booking online
- book an appointment online
- walk into a CVS or MinuteClinic for a flu shot without an appointment
Locate a CVS pharmacy near you
You can use the CVS store locator on their website to find a CVS near to you.
Visit the CVS website here to use their store locator tool – it is in the main navigation menu.
To locate a MinuteClinic near you, you can use the locator too on the website here.
Schedule a flu shot appointment online
To make an appointment for a flu shot at a CVS pharmacy near you online, you can go to their website and make an online reservation here.
You can also just use the CVS mobile app to book an appointment – you can find the CVS app on their website here.
You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire and consent form for screening prior to getting your appointment, and to provide your insurance information.
If you do this, it will speed up your visit.
To book an appointment at a MinuteClinic go to their website to book an appointment here. You will see the link to book a flu shot in the center of the page.
Walk in flu shots at CVS Pharmacies ?
Walk-in appointments are welcome at both the CVS pharmacies and at the MinuteClinics
At the MinuteClinic when you enter you will be screened to make sure you do not have Covid-19 and then after you have booked your appointment, you will have to wait elsewhere, until you receive a text on your phone telling you that your appointment is next, and you may go into the clinic.
The reason for this being that MinuteClinics have eliminated waiting rooms due to Covid-19.
What do flu vaccines cost at CVS without insurance ?
If you don’t have insurance, flu shots at CVS cost –
- Seasonal flu vaccine -$31.99
- Fluzone high-dose flu vaccine for seniors – $51.99
Why are flu shots so important for the elderly ?
Those individuals at who are at the greatest risk from catching the flu are –
- seniors
- children less than 5 yrs old
- individuals suffering from certain existing health conditions
90% of all “flu-related deaths” and 60% of “flu-related hospital stays” in the United States are people over 65 years old.
To prevent and protect against this, getting a flu shot done each year is one of the best measures available.
Flu shots are available in both a regular strength doses, and in a high strength dose which is usually recommended for the elderly.
The source for the information above is: NCOA Center for Benefits Access – “Vaccines: What Medicare pays for” which you can read here.
As an elderly person ages, they become increasingly likely to catch the flu if they come into in contact with the influenza virus.
Compounding this is the fact that, the older an individual is, the greater the chance that they may go on to develop a serious complication, such as pneumonia, from the flu virus.
If the person has underlying health conditions, they can put a person at increased risk of even greater complications from flu the flu virus.
Underlying conditions which can put a person at greater risk from the flu virus include –
- heart disease
- asthma or COPD
- diabetes
- liver disease
- kidney disease
- a compromised immune system
Of course, not just the elderly should be getting a flu shot, their caregivers also need to, if they are to have some hope of not spreading it to the elderly adults that they are looking after.
What types of flu vaccine are there ?
Standard types of influenza vaccines available to adults are –
- Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine
- High-Dose Flu Vaccine
- Intradermal Influenza Vaccine
- Adjuvanted Vaccine
- Cell-based Flu Vaccine
- Recombinant Flu Vaccines
- Nasal Spray Vaccine
For the over 65’s, the recommended Influenza Vaccines are –
- High-Dose Flu Vaccine
- Adjuvanted Vaccine
The source for this section is the Centers for Disease and Prevention website here.
Does Medicare pay for the quadrivalent flu vaccine ?
If you are enrolled in Medicare Part B, your Quadrivalent influenza vaccines will be paid for by Medicare, so long as you use a Medicare-enrolled provider who accepts assignment.
These are the influenza quadrivalent vaccines covered by Medicare Part B for the 2020 -2021 flu season, taken from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
- Fluad Quadrivalent
- Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent
- Flucevax Quadrivalent
- FluMist Quadrivalent
- Flubok Quadrivalent
- Fluzone Quadrivalent
- Afluria Quadrivalent
- Fluarix Quadrivalent
- Flulaval Quadrivalent
You can find the original document here on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website.
What other vaccines does CVS offer ?
Other vaccines which are available at CVS –
- Cholera vaccine
- Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis vaccine
- Hepatitis A vaccine
- Hepatitis B vaccine
- Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
- Japanese encephalitis vaccine
- Measles, mumps, rubella, (MMR) vaccine
- Meningococcal (meningitis) vaccine
- Pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine
- Polio vaccine
- Rabies Vaccine
- Typhoid vaccine
- Zoster (shingles) vaccine
- Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine
To find out more you can take a look at the CVS page on vaccinations on their website here.
Does Medicare cover Flu shots at Costco
Medicare Part B covers a flu shot at Costco with no deductible or coinsurance to pay.
Costco is Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment, meaning you will have nothing to pay. Costco will typically bill Medicare directly.
Which flu vaccines is Costco offering ?
The following Influenza Vaccines are offered at –
- Afluria – Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine
- Flucelvax – Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine
- Fluad – High Dose Influenza Vaccine for seniors
How do I organize my flu shot at Costco ?
To get a flu shot organized at Costco, you need to –
- locate nearby Costco pharmacy
- download your Immunization Consent Form to speed things up
- book an appointment online
- or walk in to Costco and ask for a flu shot
Find a Costco pharmacy near you
Costco has a store locator on their website to find a store near to you.
Go here to use the Costco store locator tool.
Booking a flu shot appointment online at Costco
To book an appointment for a flu shot at a Costco pharmacy near you, you can go to their website and make an online reservation here.
If you want to spend up the eventual flu shot appointment, you can download the Immunization Consent Form on the Costco site.
Don’t forget to take a valid ID and proof of Medicare insurance for your flu shot appointment.
Walk in flu shots at Costco Pharmacies ?
As well as booking an appointment online, you can walk in and ask for a flu shot. You may have to wait a while, depending on the availability of a staff member to administer your flu shot.
To speed up your visit, you could go online beforehand and download the Immunization Consent Form from the Costco website.
You will again need to take a valid ID and Medicare Part B insurance with you to your appointment.
Downloading your Immunization Consent Form
With or without making an online booking, you may want to download the Immunization Consent Form here.
You don’t have to do this, but it should speed up the appointment at Costco.
What do flu vaccines cost at Costco without insurance ?
If you don’t have insurance, flu shots at Costco cost –
- Afluria or Flucelvax quadrivalent flu vaccines (members and non-members) – $19.99
- Fluad high-dose flu vaccine for seniors – $46.99
Does Medicare pay for flu shots at a pharmacy ?
Medicare Part B will cover flu shots at a pharmacy which is Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment.
Medicare Part B covers you for one flu shot per flu season in this case.
For flu and also for pneumonia vaccines, if the pharmacy is Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment, there will be no deductible or coinsurance for you to pay.
A pharmacy which is Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment should directly bill Medicare, and there should be no out-of-pocket payments to make.
If you get your flu shot at a pharmacy, don’t forget to have them notify your primary care provider about the shot.
Does Medicare pay for flu shots at Walgreens ?
Medicare Part B will cover one flu shot per season at Walgreens, because Walgreens is a Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment.
There is also no deductible or coinsurance to pay, and Walgreens should bill Medicare directly, leaving you to pay nothing.
Walgreens in-store flu shots
Which are the flu vaccines available at Walgreens ?
At Walgreens the following flu vaccines are available –
- quadrivalent flu vaccines
- high dose flu vaccines for seniors over 65 years
How to arrange your flu shot at Walgreens ?
How you can organize a flu shot at Walgreens –
- schedule an appointment at a store on the Walgreens website
- use the Walgreens App to book an appointment at a store
- walk into a Walgreens store and get your flu shot
Booking an appointment online
If walking into a store and waiting in line for an appointment for your flu shot is not for you, you can use the Walgreens online store locator here and schedule an appointment for a flu shot at a Walgreens near you.
To speed up your appointment for the flu shot you can download the Informed Consent For Vaccination Form here, and fill it out prior to your appointment.
For your flu shot, you will also need to take a valid ID, proof of your Medicare insurance, and a face mask.
Schedule an appointment with the Walgreens App
Using the Walgreens Mobile App, you can also schedule an appointment for a flu shot at one of their pharmacies, through “Walgreens Find Care”.
Again, don’t forget to download the Informed Consent for Vaccination form here, and fill it out before you go for your shot flu, to cut down the time in the pharmacy.
You will also need to take a valid ID, proof of your Medicare insurance and a face mask.
Walk-in appointments
You can also walk in to any Walgreens for a flu shot without an appointment – you will of course have to wait until someone is available to administer your shot.
You can still download the Informed Consent for Vaccination form here if you want to get it done ahead of time.
Again, don’t forget a valid ID, proof of Medicare Insurance and a face mask for inside the store.
Without insurance, how much is a flu shot at Walgreens ?
At Walgreens without insurance, flu vaccines cost –
- quadrivalent flu vaccine – $31.99
- high does flu vaccine – $54.00
Does Medicare cover flu shots at Walmart ?
Medicare covers flu shots for those enrolled in Medicare Part B at Walmart pharmacies.
Walmart are Medicare-enrolled and accept assignment, and should bill Medicare directly without deductible or coinsurance to pay.
Walmart in-store flu shots
What flu vaccines are on offer at Walmart ?
Walmart’s pharmacies offer –
- quadrivalent flu vaccine – these contain 4 strains of the flu virus
- high dose flu vaccine – for the over 65’s
How to arrange your flu shot at Walmart ?
Walmart’s pharmacies has a number of options for you to organize your flu shot appointment –
- book a flu shot via the Walmart Mobile App
- walk in and ask for a flu shot on the spot – there is no knowing how long you will have to wait
Digital Appointment Scheduler
On the Walmart Mobile App, you can book a flu shot at a local store with a pharmacy – with the new “Digital Appointment Scheduler”.
There is a questionnaire you can download and fill out before your appointment, so you can receive the flu vaccination – it will speed up the process of the vaccination in the store.
Once at your appointment, you will be screened for Covid-19 before you get the flu shot.
Go to download the Walmart Mobile App here.
Walk-in appointments
You can also just walk in and ask for a flu shot.
If your elderly loved one is going for a walk-in appointment, it is a good idea to call your local Walmart store and check they have a pharmacy.
How much is a Walmart flu vaccine without insurance ?
The Walmart flu vaccines without insurance will cost you –
- quadrivalent flu vaccine – $25.00
- high dose flu vaccine (this is for 0ver 65’s) – $48.00
Does Medicare cover flu shots at Rite Aid ?
For those people with Medicare Part B, you don’t have to pay anything for a flu shot at Rite Aid.
Rite Aid is Medicare-enrolled and accepts assignment, which means that if you have Medicare part B, there is no deductible or coinsurance to pay for a flu shot.
Rite Aid should bill Medicare directly for the flu shot.
Flu shots at Rite Aid
Which flu shots is Rite Aid offering ?
Flu shots available at Rite Aid this year are –
Quadrivalent Flu Vaccine
High Dose flu vaccine
How to organize your flu shot at Rite Aid ?
Find a Rite Aid pharmacy near you
Use the store locator on the Rite Aid website here, or call 1-800-RITE-AID , to find a Rite Aid pharmacy that’s near to you.
Complete an Immunization Consent Form in advance
To speed up your time in the pharmacy, you can download the Immunization Screening and Consent Form from the Rite Aid website, fill it out and take it with you when you get your shot.
The Rite Aid Immunization Screening and Consent Form can be downloaded here.
Walk-in appointments
Rite Aid only offers walk-in appointments for flu shots – you just need to visit a store pharmacy and ask for a flu shot.
You will need a valid ID, proof of Medicare insurance, and if you want to speed things up the filled out Consent Form.
What does a flu vaccine at Rite Aid cost without insurance ?
A flu vaccine at Rite Aid without insurance costs –
- quadrivalent flu vaccine – $31.00
- high dose flu vaccine – $60.00
SHIP – Free advice with Medicare and Medicaid
SHIP – State Health Insurance Assistance Programs
If you are having trouble understanding your Medicare and Medicaid benefits, you can contact your SHIP and get free counseling on Medicare, Medicaid and Medigap over the phone.
Here’s a quick outline on how to contact them – “Free Help Understanding Medicare And Medicaid ? Here’s Where You Get It”.
I’m Gareth, the author and owner of Looking After Mom and Dad.com
I have been a caregiver for over 10 yrs and share all my tips here.
