The Claim:
Anti-vaxxers claim that a leaked Anthem Health document proves that physicians only recommend the COVID vaccine for a $250,000 bonus.
The Facts:
This program shows how well vaccines work. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is a for-profit insurance company, which makes money when people pay them and then don’t end up needing more expensive medical care. Anthem then pays money to make sure their customers are vaccinated because vaccines prevent severe illness in their customers, so they won’t end up needing health care services, which would cut into the company’s profits.
If vaccines caused injury, insurance companies like Anthem would be on the hook. Insurance companies would only promote an intervention like vaccines if vaccines prevented injury and death. They even offered incentives to their own associates, something that would seem an odd choice for a for-profit organization if they believed the vaccines would harm recipients.
Additionally, this is hardly a leaked document as it is on the Anthem website, along with similar incentive programs for different vaccines.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved since this was originally posted. Browse the latest information posted in Just the Facts Topics.
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