4 Ways To Reduce The Cost Of Your Annual Flu Shot
Leaves falling, school buses on the roads, and cooler temperatures are all signs that flu season is fast approaching. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, flu vaccinations prevented 1.9 million influenza-associated illnesses during the 2014-2015 season. Having family members be sick is not only inconvenient, but could actually cost money if doctor visits and medication is involved. Severe cases of influenza can come cases even cause death. For these reasons, I take my family members to get a flu shot every year.
Flu shots aren’t terribly expensive, but at a cost of about $40 per person it can add up quickly for an entire family. The good news is there are ways to reduce, or even eliminate the cost of your yearly flu vaccination.
Medical Insurance
Flu vaccinations are typically considered preventative treatment, and covered by many medical insurance plans. Before paying for your shot, check with your provider and see if the treatment might be partially or even fully covered by your benefits.
Employer
Employers have an incentive to give you the best chance of staying healthy since you can’t be a productive employee if you’re at home in bed being ill. Because of this reason, many employers will offer flu shots at no cost to employees. Many (including my employer) make them available at the job location to make it as convenient as possible to receive the vaccination.
Schools
Many of the public schools in my district are offering free flu shots to students. While this wouldn’t cover all of the members of the family, if you live in a school district that offers this at least you can get your kids the vaccination at no cost.
Senior Centers
The flu tends to affect older people more severely. Many times senior centers will offer flu shots for seniors to help keep them healthy through the flu season.
Flu vaccinations can help keep you healthy and productive during the winter months. However, the cost of vaccinating yourself or an entire family may be cost prohibitive. The good news is that with a little effort, there are several ways that can reduce or eliminate this cost.
Do you get a flu vaccination each year? Have you encountered any other methods to reduce or eliminate the cost of the shot?
Brought to you courtesy of Brock
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Brock is a software engineer by day and personal finance blogger at night. He is a fitness junkie and enjoys grilling and smoking meat. Married with two children, Brock strives to improve his skills as a husband and father, and is always on the lookout to stretch his family’s budget as far as he can.
After getting such a horrible flu 2 days after the vaccination, I decided to never get the vaccine again. I do catch an occasional cold, but it’s ‘light’ compared to that. Flu shots are not as expensive here and I think some are covered by insurance. Always a good idea to look into ways to save money though, thanks for sharing these strategies.
I believe they say it takes some time (a few weeks?) for the vaccine to take effect, so I would think that your reaction was a coincidence…..but who knows. Thanks for sharing your experiences, and for stopping by!
Our local fire stations are doing flu vaccine clinics as part of their open houses this week. Look for the fall events that incorporate the shots.
Good Tip, Emily, thanks for sharing!