The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has created the HHS Bridge Access Program which encompasses both the CDC Bridge Access Program and the Health Center Bridge Funding Program.
The CDC Bridge Access Program will temporarily provide no-cost 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine for adults without health insurance and adults with insurance that does not cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs. Health center patients can access the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine at health centers, safety-net, and public health providers designated by state and local health departments, and more than 20,000 retail pharmacy locations nationwide. Provider Education Resources include a communications toolkit and FAQs.
The Health Center Bridge Funding Program is one-time funding with a 16-month period of performance (Sept. 1, 2023 – Dec. 31, 2024). Activities must be related to COVID-19 services, such as COVID-19 testing, vaccination, therapeutics, enabling/patient support services to support COVID-19 related services, community vaccination events, personnel who support COVID-19 related services, and supplies that support COVID-19-related“ services. However, health centers must make every effort to get free COVID supplies from the CDC Bridge Access Program and HRSAs Testing Supply and Therapeutics Programs. Health Center Bridge Funding post-award submission is due in electronic handbooks on Oct. 2, 2023. Health centers can submit programmatic questions via the BPHC Contact Form.
Additionally, HHS issued a provider letter reviewing the necessary steps to take to discontinue the public health emergency-era CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program. The letter includes a reminder that with the approval of 2023-2024 monovalent XBB.1.5 variant mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, Bivalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA