One in an occasional series of editorials addressing hesitations about the COVID-19 vaccines.
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The COVID-19 vaccine is free. For patients, there are no out-of-pocket expenses. No copay. No coinsurance. No office visit fee. No bill even if you haven't met your annual deductible.
It doesn't matter if you have health insurance or you don't. Or if you're a senior enrolled in Medicare. Or if you're younger and rely on the state's Medical Assistance program or MinnesotaCare. An individual's cost to get the shots is $0, period, because the federal government is providing the vaccines free of charge to every American. That includes the associated costs of getting it.
And yet mistaken concerns about costs persist among the reasons for COVID vaccine hesitancy, particularly among seniors. Last month, an insurance industry analysis of U.S. census data had an alarming finding: A significant number of older adults reported refraining from vaccination due to the incorrect belief it will cost money.
A deeper dive into the weekly data, which was gathered by the census' Household Pulse Survey, found this misperception is more deeply rooted among seniors in several states, including our own. "Minnesota, Nevada and Pennsylvania display the highest rates per capita of seniors avoiding the vaccine out of mistaken notions over the cost."
The census data suggests that other age groups unfortunately have mistaken notions about the shots' price tag, too. In Minnesota, the concerns are particularly acute among those ages 25-39.
Ending the pandemic hinges on getting as many eligible people vaccinated as possible. Misperceptions about financial barriers slow this progress and could well endanger someone's life with the virus continuing to circulate. That's why the Star Tribune Editorial Board's "Our Best Shot" series on vaccine hesitancy is spotlighting this issue and has tapped the expertise of Dr. Kevin Gilliam, a family medicine physician and associate medical director at NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center in Minneapolis.
NorthPoint is part of the state's "community health center" network. Its mission is a noble one: providing primary and preventive care to patients for whom affordability, lack of insurance, distance or language may be barriers. Community health centers aren't limited to the metro. They serve cities across the state such as Willmar, Floodwood and Tofte.