WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Federal COVID-19 funding is drying up.
Starting next week vaccine providers will no longer receive reimbursements for giving the COVID-19 vaccine to uninsured patients.
Since December 2020, when the first coronavirus vaccine was approved, Williamsburg Drug Company has kept COVID-19 vaccines flowing.
“We will do it as long as we can,” said owner T.W. Taylor
Taylor said his team put more than 20,000 shots in arms during the COVID-19 pandemic, even taking operations on the road with a mobile clinic.
“People were working 20 hours of overtime sometimes, with all the clinics we were doing,” Taylor said.
He said many patients walk through his doors without insurance.
But, starting next week, that will become a challenge as federal reimbursements for COVID vaccine providers like Taylor, run low.
There won't be any more money in the Health Resources and Services Administration pot, come April 5.
The website says that’s due to a “lack of sufficient funds”.
“Employee time, that is the expense,” Taylor said. “And then to do the vaccine, you have all the paperwork to do.”
Vaccines are free, but medical providers still must get the shots in arms.
“They do provide us with the vaccine, but we have to provide the supplies,” Taylor said. “Like if you wear gloves, used alcohol, Band-Aids.”
Virginia Department of Health Deputy Director of Epidemiology, Dr. Laurie Forlano, said she worries about the lack of federal funding.
“The potential risk is that providers will withdraw from the vaccine program if they can’t seek reimbursement for giving the vaccine to someone who is uninsured,” Forlano said.
Forlano said VDH would try to absorb that impact.
“We will make sure to the best of our ability, and as resources allow, that that vaccine access remains,” Forlano said. “Time will tell I think, with these additional vaccines and booster, I am hopeful the feds will figure this out, maybe with some money coming down the pike.”
Taylor said his team will keep providing COVID vaccines to all patients, for as long as possible.
“The answer is: we will do everything we can to protect everybody, and we just hope people are patient,” Taylor said.
Federal COVID-19 testing reimbursements for uninsured patients ended on March 22.
VDH officials said they are stocked up on COVID-19 testing resources, should the demand for testing increase.