3 ms·

A concern of mine is where the insurance companies will get their guidelines, i.e., who pays. Also, being willing to pay out of pocket is not a panacea, as you

A concern of mine is where the insurance companies will get their guidelines, i.e., who pays. Also, being willing to pay out of pocket is not a panacea, as you can still be turned down.

clumsysmurf 1y ago
Indeed, "Nineteen states have laws or regulations that only let pharmacists administer vaccines recommended by ACIP, according to the American Pharmacists Association. In those states, pharmacies may not be able to dole out shots even for people who fit the FDA’s narrowed range until the committee makes its recommendation." https://apnews.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-insurance-coverage-pharmacists-16b166a86548b37849eff2debc6e6100 https://apnews.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-insurance-covera...
SoftTalker 1y ago
I'd expect insurance companies realize that paying for vaccines is a lot cheaper than paying for measles, mumps, covid, and the flu. They are in business to make a profit, not to pinch pennies at the cost of pounds. Not to mention that common vaccines are not very expensive, even if you're paying out of pocket.
- wredcoll 1y ago
  Not if you get to stop paying for treatments if they get sick!
  - SoftTalker 1y ago
    Why would they? Why would anyone buy insurance that didn't pay for treatments of illness? I get frequent emails from both my employer and my insurance plan reminding me to get flu shots, annual physicals, etc. because it's cheaper for them if I stay healthy vs. having to pay (potentially a lot) for treatment of preventable illness or health problems.
    - jmclnx 1y ago
      Because you have no choice. In the US, I noticed a trend that companies are starting to offer one choice for Insurance, the cheapest for them.
      - mathiaspoint 1y ago
        There's always self insurance. These days that's likely cheaper.
    - wredcoll 1y ago
      Same reason people buy baby formula that's poisonous: they don't know or are desperate.
    - const_cast 1y ago
      Because you don't buy insurance, you're essentially assigned it. There is no insurance marketplace. And no, healthcare.gov does not count. These companies act in lockstep and the service is socialized - you pay for everyone else. Its the most shitty approach imaginable to healthcare. You get all the greed and ass fucking of private healthcare, with all the choice (or lack thereof) of huge socialized medicine. And, cherry on top, the private sector has WAY less rules than the public sector.
      - SoftTalker 1y ago
        I'm not seeing it. My private employer's plan and my son's healthcare.gov plan and every plan of everyone I know covers vaccines.
        const_cast 1y ago
        Right. And have you actually taken a step back and thought about why that is?
- MandieD 1y ago
  My health insurance in Germany - "public", but we get to choose which of about 150 Krankenkassen (sickness funds) we want to go with - comes about as close as it legally can to bribing us to get vaccinated, both seasonal (flu and covid) and boosters for the ones you should have gotten as a kid. Your health insurance here is also responsible for paying your sick leave, so they are SUPER motivated for you not to get the flu or covid.
peterbecich 1y ago
Divergence from the CDC guidelines could also enable (scientifically meritless) lawsuits from patients against their doctors, no? What a sorry state of affairs.
franktankbank 1y ago
Why are insurance companies involved here at all?
- IAmBroom 1y ago
  That requires a lengthy US history lesson, which you can read elsewhere.
  - franktankbank 1y ago
    Rhetorical question I suppose... I don't think Health Insurance should cover typical things. When I've gone to the hospital with kids or as someone nearing 40 its more expensive with insurance than without, not including the 30k in payments through employment we already endure. I don't care to subsidize the boomers.
    - _DeadFred_ 1y ago
      I'm glad people are finally saying their true position is 'I don't care, let old people/disabled people die'. We're really starting to see the real American values system.
      - mingus88 1y ago
        The boomer generation is also well known as the “me” generation, so it’s something they should expect, to be quite honest. They are the ones who raised us.
        _DeadFred_ 1y ago
        'It's someone else's fault I'm cool with letting people die, I have no agency in the matter'. Keep telling yourself that.
      - deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
      - 1y ago

A concern of mine is where the insurance companies will get their guidelines, i.e., who pays. Also, being willing to pay out of pocket is not a panacea, as you can still be turned down.

clumsysmurf 1y ago

Indeed, "Nineteen states have laws or regulations that only let pharmacists administer vaccines recommended by ACIP, according to the American Pharmacists Association. In those states, pharmacies may not be able to dole out shots even for people who fit the FDA’s narrowed range until the committee makes its recommendation." https://apnews.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-insurance-coverage-pharmacists-16b166a86548b37849eff2debc6e6100 https://apnews.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-insurance-covera...

SoftTalker 1y ago

I'd expect insurance companies realize that paying for vaccines is a lot cheaper than paying for measles, mumps, covid, and the flu. They are in business to make a profit, not to pinch pennies at the cost of pounds. Not to mention that common vaccines are not very expensive, even if you're paying out of pocket.

wredcoll 1y ago
Not if you get to stop paying for treatments if they get sick!
- SoftTalker 1y ago
  Why would they? Why would anyone buy insurance that didn't pay for treatments of illness? I get frequent emails from both my employer and my insurance plan reminding me to get flu shots, annual physicals, etc. because it's cheaper for them if I stay healthy vs. having to pay (potentially a lot) for treatment of preventable illness or health problems.
  - jmclnx 1y ago
    Because you have no choice. In the US, I noticed a trend that companies are starting to offer one choice for Insurance, the cheapest for them.
    - mathiaspoint 1y ago
      There's always self insurance. These days that's likely cheaper.
  - wredcoll 1y ago
    Same reason people buy baby formula that's poisonous: they don't know or are desperate.
  - const_cast 1y ago
    Because you don't buy insurance, you're essentially assigned it. There is no insurance marketplace. And no, healthcare.gov does not count. These companies act in lockstep and the service is socialized - you pay for everyone else. Its the most shitty approach imaginable to healthcare. You get all the greed and ass fucking of private healthcare, with all the choice (or lack thereof) of huge socialized medicine. And, cherry on top, the private sector has WAY less rules than the public sector.
    - SoftTalker 1y ago
      I'm not seeing it. My private employer's plan and my son's healthcare.gov plan and every plan of everyone I know covers vaccines.
      - const_cast 1y ago
        Right. And have you actually taken a step back and thought about why that is?
MandieD 1y ago
My health insurance in Germany - "public", but we get to choose which of about 150 Krankenkassen (sickness funds) we want to go with - comes about as close as it legally can to bribing us to get vaccinated, both seasonal (flu and covid) and boosters for the ones you should have gotten as a kid. Your health insurance here is also responsible for paying your sick leave, so they are SUPER motivated for you not to get the flu or covid.

peterbecich 1y ago

Divergence from the CDC guidelines could also enable (scientifically meritless) lawsuits from patients against their doctors, no? What a sorry state of affairs.

franktankbank 1y ago

Why are insurance companies involved here at all?

IAmBroom 1y ago
That requires a lengthy US history lesson, which you can read elsewhere.
- franktankbank 1y ago
  Rhetorical question I suppose... I don't think Health Insurance should cover typical things. When I've gone to the hospital with kids or as someone nearing 40 its more expensive with insurance than without, not including the 30k in payments through employment we already endure. I don't care to subsidize the boomers.
  - _DeadFred_ 1y ago
    I'm glad people are finally saying their true position is 'I don't care, let old people/disabled people die'. We're really starting to see the real American values system.
    - mingus88 1y ago
      The boomer generation is also well known as the “me” generation, so it’s something they should expect, to be quite honest. They are the ones who raised us.
      - _DeadFred_ 1y ago
        'It's someone else's fault I'm cool with letting people die, I have no agency in the matter'. Keep telling yourself that.
    - deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    - 1y ago