Community Chat

[sann]

Well if its free then why did they want to see my insurance cards when I had my first vaccine?

[FiddleDeeDee]

I had mentioned in another thread that my in-laws witnessed people leaving and not receiving the vaccine when they found out they had to pay for the actual administering of the vaccine. In their county in MD, this was and is being done and you are forewarned on the sites, in the news and by your doctor that this MAY occur. 

And it was disputed as being not possible. IMHO, each state and county have handled this situation in whatever way they choose; some have done a great job and some have done a ******-poor job. Considering that this is how it's been since Day 1 of the pandemic, why is it a surprise? And yes, the CDC may say ABC but many a state is doing XYZ and getting away with it when it comes to rules/regulations regarding this nightmare. 

[lmt]

My DH went online last week to sign up. He was asked for his SSN but he left it blank.

Request still went through and he's on the waiting list.

[Drythe]

---

@Carmie wrote:

I read today that the federal government is keeping a data base of everyone who has been vaccinated...with name, address and other info which could be more invasive  depending on which state you're in.

The feds said it is for statical purposes only and the info will never be released to  any other agencies.

---

@Carmie 

Hard not to question that database, as many of us have stated -

I was asked to sign nothing, nor to provide any information.  

I have not read about any statical reports using invasive information being kept by the ‘feds’.

[Carmie]

---

@sann wrote:

Well if its free then why did they want to see my insurance cards when I had my first vaccine?

---

The vaccine is free, but if you have insurance, they will send the administrive fee for reimbursement.

If you have no insurance, they cannot charge you for the administrive fee upfront or after the fact.  The costs are supposed to be picked up by the money allowed in the stimulus package which will fund this.

Sometimes the people administering the shot are volunteers and sometimes they are paid nurses, etc.

[DiAnne]

I was only asked for my Medicare card and DL.  If they had asked for my SS#  I would have given it willingly (they could always get it if they wanted it).  They did not ask for any supplemental insurance.  Today when I went for the second vaccine they just asked me for my  name/date of birth and took my temperature.  

[lmt]

---

@FiddleDeeDee wrote:

I had mentioned in another thread that my in-laws witnessed people leaving and not receiving the vaccine when they found out they had to pay for the actual administering of the vaccine. In their county in MD, this was and is being done and you are forewarned on the sites, in the news and by your doctor that this MAY occur. 

And it was disputed as being not possible. IMHO, each state and county have handled this situation in whatever way they choose; some have done a great job and some have done a ******-poor job. Considering that this is how it's been since Day 1 of the pandemic, why is it a surprise? And yes, the CDC may say ABC but many a state is doing XYZ and getting away with it when it comes to rules/regulations regarding this nightmare. 

---

@FiddleDeeDee   Our local news station did coverage on this type of thing.

SCRANTON, Pa. — A health care provider in Lackawanna County is taking some heat for the way it's giving out the COVID-19 vaccine.

After getting the COVID-19 vaccine at the Wright Center for Community Health, one person got a bill for more than $400. 

Many others have taken to social media to complain that the center is charging for an office visit when you come to receive the vaccine.

But Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, the Wright Center CEO, says that's because she does not want to put a shot in the arm of someone who has never been a patient of the center before without knowing their medical history, especially after a year where so many people have skipped their regular doctors' appointments due to COVID-19.

"With our hypervigilance, we wanted not only to protect every patient when they came in to get the vaccine, but to really appreciate their story, where they were after the long pandemic, knowing that many people did not seek primary health services for the prior nine months, or might have not had really significant and serious chronic medical issues addressed."

According to the CDC's website, providers "cannot charge an office visit or other fee to the recipient if the only service provided is a COVID-19 vaccination."

"We're providing a lot more service than the vaccine," Dr. Thomas-Hemak said.

The CDC also says providers cannot "require additional services in order for a person to receive" the vaccine.

"It says service, not visit. So we're in conversations with the CDC on how to optimize that language," said Dr. Thomas-Hemak.

The message from the Wright Center is that if you just want a shot in the arm and nothing else, you should not come here.

"We are not giving vaccines outside the context of an office visit. That's who we are. We don't feel comfortable giving vaccines outside the context of an office visit. We actually completely appreciate the fact that we can't force anybody to come get a shot through an office visit. But nobody can force us to behave like a pharmacy because we're a patient-centered medical home, we're a medical educator, and we're really proud of that."

We reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. A spokesperson told us, "We would advocate for removing all barriers to vaccination. The Department of Health encourages residents to seek vaccination opportunities that are free of charge."

There's a sign on the entrance to the center informing people that they'll be charged for an office visit. It's also on the center's website.

But some people who got the shot early on in the distribution tell Newswatch 16 they had no idea they'd be charged until the bill arrived.

The Wright Center says it's improved its messaging since January to avoid surprise bills.

"But we've never done vaccine-only visits, for vaccines that are based on technology that we've been comfortable with for 40 years, we've never done that. That's not who we are," Dr. Thomas-Hemak said.

Dr. Thomas-Hemak shut down the suggestion that her nonprofit organization is doing this to make more money.

"Because here's what happens to any of the revenues, they get re-invested and delivered back to the public."

The Wright Center also stressed it will not turn anyone away who cannot pay. There is a sliding fee discount program for under-insured or uninsured patients.

[gertrudecloset]

@pitdakotaI understand.  But they should assign other numbers then.  This is my opinion.  I don't think they need to have your SS# in order to contact you.  This is unncessary.

Recordkeeping too.  Since when does your SS# identify you?.  Actually, your SS# is not a valid form of identification when applying for a lot of things.

Thanks for your explanation but I won't be giving them mine.

[gertrudecloset]

---

@sann wrote:

Well if its free then why did they want to see my insurance cards when I had my first vaccine?

---

They're lying!

[gertrudecloset]

But Dr. Linda Thomas-Hemak, the Wright Center CEO, says that's because she does not want to put a shot in the arm of someone who has never been a patient of the center before without knowing their medical history, especially after a year where so many people have skipped their regular doctors' appointments due to COVID-19.

"With our hypervigilance, we wanted not only to protect every patient when they came in to get the vaccine, but to really appreciate their story, where they were after the long pandemic, knowing that many people did not seek primary health services for the prior nine months, or might have not had really significant and serious chronic medical issues addressed."

@lmt 

Soooo, charging people $400.00 means they are new patients?  The explanation is for some who won't question this.  Not for me.  LOL. What a load!  I knew some were going to try to make money off of this.  I knew it.  It's a shame. Drugstores are administering the vaccine, so are people who go to CVS for their shots considered patients of Walgreens or your neighborhood Pharmacy?