Massachusetts becomes first state to impose its own vaccine coverage rules

Massachusetts will require health insurers operating in the state to cover vaccines recommended by the state's department of public health, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey announced Thursday.

Why it matters: Massachusetts is the first state to mandate insurance coverage of vaccines even if the federal government stops requiring it.

• Health insurers have to cover vaccines as recommended by the CDC at no extra cost to patients. But Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has indicated that he wants to roll back some federal vaccine recommendations.

Zoom in: The directive is supported by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, the state said in a news release.

• The national health insurance trade group AHIP in June said its members will continue to cover vaccines for this year's respiratory season.
• Healey filed legislation last month that would give the state's public health department the ability to set independent standards for buying and recommending vaccines.

Zoom out: Massachusetts is joining several other Democrat-led states in pushing back on Kennedy's changes to vaccine policy.

The other side: "Democrat-run states that pushed unscientific school lockdowns, toddler mask mandates, and draconian vaccine passports during the COVID era completely eroded the American people's trust in public health agencies," HHS said in a statement.

• "ACIP remains the scientific body guiding immunization recommendations in this country, and HHS will ensure policy is based on rigorous evidence and Gold Standard Science, not the failed politics of the pandemic."

What's next: Healey is also leading efforts to create collaboration of northeastern states that would develop evidence-based guidelines around vaccines, disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and supporting state public health labs, the state confirmed.