Can health insurance require a COVID vaccine? Will your health insurance charge higher premiums if you’re not vaccinated? Here are some of the things you need to know.
Can Health Insurance Require a COVID Vaccine?
Unvaccinated Americans are said to be at high risk of getting infected by the COVID-19 virus and experience severe symptoms. Currently, unvaccinated represent over 95% of the current cases of death.
Will health insurers require their insured unvaccinated clients higher premiums? It’s an interesting question. But we all know that insurers can charge clients different premiums based on their risk factors.
Read: Are Health Insurance Premiums Higher for Smokers?
Keep in mind that purchasing a policy needs for your to undergo a medical exam to know your health status. Thus, when you buy a health insurance policy, you may be asked for your vaccination status.
But state and federal regulations restricted health insurers to utilize health factors in pricing policies. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act started to prohibit health insurers to use health status in a health insurance policy.
Furthermore, Obamacare prevents health insurance companies from pricing their plans based on health, except for their smoking status.
Read: Health Insurance with Pre-Existing Conditions
Are Health Insurance Premiums Higher for Unvaccinated?
As mentioned, health insurance companies are not allowed to increase premiums based on health status. It’s probably the reason premiums didn’t change yet during the pandemic.
However, some health insurers are changing the policy terms for those with high-risk health conditions. That is, the terms are getting worse.
Read: Does Life Insurance Cover Coronavirus-Related Death?
Encouraging People to Get Inoculated
Surcharges can be an effective way to encourage people to get vaccinated. In this survey, researchers found that unvaccinated adults would get immunized if their health insurance company increase their premiums.
Will Vaccinated People Get Discounts for Their Premiums?
Health insurers can use wellness incentives to lower the premiums of those who are vaccinated. Employers can provide incentives to their employees if they participate in wellness activities.
Some employers are now incentivizing their employees who are vaccinated by offering a monthly discount on their premiums.
In that case, even if health insurers can’t charge their clients higher premiums because they’re not vaccinated, insured people who get vaccinated can use the incentives to lower their premiums.
Thus, they end up paying less than their unvaccinated colleagues.
Why Some People are Hesitant to Get COVID-19 Vaccine?
It’s important to note, though, that not all individuals can get the vaccine because of their health status. For instance, if they are prone to allergies or if they are hypertensive, their doctors may refuse to give them the approval to get inoculated.
Unfortunately, some just don’t want to get the vaccine. Here are some of their reasons.
Blood Clot
One of the vaccines available is from AstraZeneca. It’s been linked to thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS). It’s a rare blood-clotting condition. However, the risk of suffering from it is tiny.
In other words, you’re not likely to get a blood clot from this vaccine.
This vaccine is safe. You’re likely to get a blood clot if you get infected by COVID-19.
Too Old or Young to Get the Vaccine
Earlier in the year, Pfizer was the preferred vaccine for individuals aged 18 and 59. But the situation has changed.
The Delta variant has more serious symptoms than SARS CoV-2. The percentage of younger people in ventilators or dying because of COVID-19 is higher than the outbreaks of the original COVID-19.
That said, you can get vaccinated with whatever’s available in your area. And yes, including AstraZeneca.
You just have to remember that the benefits of vaccinations can outweigh the risks of vaccination.
COVID-19 isn’t Deadly
Worldwide, this viral infection has caused over 4.2 million deaths. Even though the elderly and people with serious medical conditions are at higher risk, anyone can suffer from the infection’s serious symptoms.
Furthermore, this infection can cause lasting health issues. Some people suffered moderate symptoms for at least 2 months.
You should also remember that the virus can be spread by people without symptoms. If you can get infected with COVID-19, you can pass the virus to others without you even knowing it.
In that case, you can spread it to the people you love and they become very ill because of their low immune function.
If you’re not sure whether or not you need to get the vaccine, you should consult your doctor. It’s especially true if you have an underlying condition. The vaccine may worsen your condition.
Conclusion
Can health insurance require a COVID vaccine? Health insurers are not allowed to deny unvaccinated people health insurance coverage. However, they can provide incentives to lower the premiums of those who are vaccinated.
As always, talk to your doctor about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. He can explain to you whether or not you can benefit from it.
Jane is a licensed medical technologist who bridges the gap between clinical precision and digital innovation. While her formal background is rooted in the meticulous world of laboratory science, her passion lies in the logic of software development. When she isn’t analyzing data or writing clean, efficient code, you can find her on the golf course, applying that same focus and discipline to her swing.
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