COMMENT & CONTROVERSY

Cost of HPV vaccine is patient’s responsibility

“The new HPV vaccine: What the ObGyn needs to know,” an expert panel moderated by Thomas C. Wright, MD (January 2007)

In the roundtable discussion of the new HPV vaccine, the question was raised—“who pays?” Why is it assumed that we will buy this expensive vaccine, administer it to our patients, and then hope to be reimbursed by someone—either the insurance company or the patient? We advise our patients to be vaccinated against HPV, but address the problem of reimbursement in a practical fashion. We don’t buy anything.