ANSWERED: Can providers charge a fee for the coronavirus vaccine?

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - When you walk into the facility in which you are about to receive your coronavirus vaccine, you may be asked to provide your health insurance information before rolling up your sleeve.

This is because although the coronavirus vaccine is free to all Kansans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allows any vaccine provider to charge an administration fee.

"It is covered by the vast majority of insurances. If a patient is uninsured there's a federal program that we would file the charges to called the HRSA [Health Resources and Services Administration] program," said Ron Campbell, director of revenue cycles for clinics at Stormont Vail Health, whom charges an administration fee for the vaccine. "So even if you're not an insured patient, we would not expect you to have to pay any out-of-pocket amounts."

Stormont Vail Health uses the fees for continuing the operations of the clinic at Stormont Vail Events Center.

If for some reason a patient's insurance does not cover the fee, Stormont Vail will work with the patient to get it paid.

However, as of Monday there has not been a single patient who has had to pay out-of-pocket.