RSV vaccine coverage by insurer

[sammys24]

All Medicare coverage is not equal.  After being informed of the dangers of RSV in the elderly (I’m 70yo) and knowing that I was going to be traveling internationally, I made an appointment to get the vaccine.  At the pharmacy, I was told that my insurer, Aetna Medicare refused coverage.  The pharmacist told me that other insurers were covering and that maybe Aetna just didn’t have it on their formulary yet.  I checked with Aetna, and was told that I need a physician’s prescription AND it would have to go through Prior Authorization.  I am finding this to be costly, inefficient, and risk-taking when I am trying to be proactive, cost-saving, and protective.  As a retired clinical pharmacist, myself, I’m disturbed by the inequity in insurance coverage.