Oregon insurers now required to cover monkeypox vaccines

SALEM Ore. (KPTV) - Oregon health insurers are now required to cover the cost of monkeypox vaccination within Oregon, the Oregon Health Authority announced Wednesday.

This announcement follows a “declaration of a disease outbreak” of the virus by OHA. Under Oregon law, health insurers are required to cover treatments, vaccines and other medical supplies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, that the public health director has determined are necessary in such cases.

Health officials said the order is to make sure everyone who is at risk has easy and affordable access to the monkeypox vaccines.

“We know more vaccines are coming from the Federal government,” said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state health officer. “We’re doing everything we can to keep people safe and encourage people to take common sense precautions – like getting vaccinated when they’re eligible and supplies are available – so we can all prevent monkeypox from spreading.”

As of Monday, there have been 89 cases of monkeypox in Oregon, but the OHA said they expect that number to rise with testing.