ProPublica: False Barriers: These Things Should Not Prevent You From Getting a COVID Vaccine

[SheltieLover]

https://www.propublica.org/article/false-barriers-these-things-should-not-prevent-you-from-getting-a-covid-vaccine

Vaccinations for the coronavirus are supposed to be free and available to all Americans regardless of insurance or immigration status. For some, that isn’t how it has been playing out. Here are common false barriers to look out for.

As the United States seeks to end its coronavirus crisis and outrun variants, public health officials recognize it is essential for as many people as possible to get vaccinated. Making that easy is a major part of the plan. According to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, the vaccine is supposed to be free to everyone, whether they’re insured or not. And the Biden administration has directed all vaccination sites to accept undocumented immigrants as a “moral and public health imperative.” But this promise has not always been fulfilled, ProPublica has found.

At vaccination sites around the country, people have been turned away after being asked for documentation that they shouldn’t need to provide, or asked to pay when they owed nothing.

In part, this has happened as businesses administering the vaccine try to recoup administrative fees they are allowed to charge to the government and private insurers. To aid them in passing along the bill, major pharmacies ask those being vaccinated for their Social Security numbers and insurance information. They aren’t supposed to deny a shot to people who aren’t covered or try to make them pay the fees. But both of those things have happened.

More at link.

I personally drove a person to Krogers for their first Pfizer vaccine. The person does not have a drivers license or state ID. Knowing what a hellhole TN is, I took all the person's medical records and an original, certified certificate of birth with and had to argue for the person to get the vaccine. Yes, fortunately, the pharmacy manager took a copy of the person's birth certificate and insurance card and did eventually provide the vaccine, but not without an intense discussion.

WHY IS IT AS DIFFICULT TO GET A COVID VACCINE IN TN AS IT IS TO VOTE?????

On Edit: has anyone else experienced pharmacy demanding photo id for covid vaccine?

[enough]

1. Same answer both questions. NT

[SheltieLover]

2. Yup

Apparently it is Kroger's policy, or, more likely, a state mandate.

It seemed the pharmacy manager was sticking her neck out, so to speak, by agreeing to provide thd vaccine without a photo id.

[druidity33]

3. Same reason...

because they "don't want them immigrants to have what's ours!" Which is stupid because we need EVERYONE possible to be vaxxed. Also, the businesses are eager for their pieces of pie...

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

4. I was asked information about my health care on the form

I filled out before getting the vaccine. But I wasn't asked for ID, and I'm sure if I were without health care, I would not have been turned away.

But then I live in the amazing state of New Mexico.