AHIP, the national trade organization representing the U.S. health insurance industry, announced at the end of May that its members will continue covering routine vaccines through 2027, extending a similar voluntary policy from 2026. The decision follows a federal judge’s order that halted changes to the childhood vaccine schedule made by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which had been put on hold amid a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Elizabeth Jacobs, an epidemiology professor at the University of Arizona and a founding member of the grassroots organization Defend Public Health, described the insurers’ decision as a “powerful” signal about vaccine safety. Jacobs said insurance companies, which have access to detailed data on health outcomes after vaccination and vaccine-preventable illnesses, “are clearly choosing to cover vaccines because they know that they are safe and effective.”
“They understand that there is a benefit there to people being vaccinated, especially kids, and I’m sure they’ve run the numbers and they know that it will cost them a heck of a lot more to treat kids with measles who are hospitalized than it is to pay for vaccines,” Jacobs said.
The announcement comes as the Trump administration continues to pursue changes to federal vaccine policy. Trump signed an executive order on exploring changes to the childhood immunization schedule, claiming that “the United States currently recommends more childhood vaccines than any peer nation.” Experts have said the U.S. is on par with other similar nations in its vaccine recommendations.
The executive order follows a presidential memo in December also aimed at reconsidering vaccine recommendations. It comes after the AAP lawsuit led to a pause on ACIP’s changes to the vaccine schedule. The committee itself was put on hold because of a judge’s concerns about the selection process, overseen by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine critic.
Richard Hughes, one of the lawyers representing the AAP in the lawsuit, said the executive order “may signal that the administration is planning to convene the committee soon, whether through new appointments or by relying on ex officio members.” Hughes said that without such action, “the committee cannot meet.”
While the executive order has limited legal effects, Hughes said “it may be intended to put additional White House weight behind future agency action.” However, he said any changes like those made in early January to slash recommendations by a third would violate the judge’s order halting changes.
The public health impact of declining vaccination is already visible. There have been nearly 2,000 confirmed cases of measles so far this year, and last year had record-high rates of whooping cough as vaccinations declined. A federal judge has already blocked some of the administration’s earlier vaccine changes, and MSI previously reported that Trump had ordered agencies to adopt an HHS study recommending a narrower childhood vaccine schedule.
Trump’s own pollsters have shown that vaccine restrictions are unpopular among voters)Skip. They have cautioned the White House that anti-vaccine rhetoric is “politically risky” ahead of the midterm elections.
“Politically, I am surprised the White House chose to go in this direction ahead of the midterms,” Hughes said. “It raises questions about how this played out internally and whether RFK Jr was able to get this past Susie Wiles and directly to the president.”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to questions by press time.
Jacobs described the ongoing situation as “deeply problematic,” saying that “representatives of the US government continue to undermine vaccines” and that the mixed messaging “continues this confusion and causes absolutely unnecessary fear among parents.”
“I feel like everything could just drop from under our feet at any time with RFK Jr in charge, so it’s a really difficult situation,” Jacobs said.
The insurers’ decision to continue backing vaccines sends an “important message” about the safety and effectiveness of the shots, she added.