U.S. COVID-19 Employer Resources
Although all adults should be able to receive the vaccine when supply allows, not all will. Perceptions of the COVID-19 vaccine vary drastically. An average 43% of consumers would get a COVID-19 vaccine across 12 different polls. Statistics across varying platforms have fluctuated, however, according to a Gallup poll in early November, 58% of Americans would be willing to get the vaccine1. According to polls, the primary concern driving some Americans’ hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine is the potential for negative side effects.
Due to delays in vaccination administration across the country, on January 6th, HHS Secretary (Azar) announced that States should bypass the COVID vaccine priority plan if causing administration slow-downs. On January 12th, the current Administration released plans for all available vaccine inventory be used for 1st dose vaccinations, rather than holding back allotments to ensure 2nd doses are given within recommended timeframes; these changes also included focusing on individuals age 65+ and with underlying health conditions as the priority.
Refer to Alliant’s Road to Recovery, Vaccine Authorization, Now What? presentation for more detailed information.
COVID-19 vaccine considerations for the United States of America
- Can employers mandate the vaccine?
Yes, with significant caveats - Who will control delivery of the vaccine?
Govt covers vaccine cost, employer covers administration - Who covers the cost of the vaccine?
Government - Where will people get vaccinated?
General practitioner’s office - Is there cultural resistance to getting the vaccine?
Yes
The opportunity to offer onsite clinics for COVID-19 vaccines will require patience and persistence.
- Availability will be varied for the coming weeks and months, employers need to work with local state agencies and health departments to identify access opportunities.
- Vendors such as Quest Diagnostics, Occuvax, LabCorp, and others are formulating plans to offer onsite employer-based clinics when sufficient quantities of vaccine become available.
- Individuals in high-risk categories should work with their primary care physician to gain access to a vaccine.
- Leverage free tools such as the CDC’s Vax TextSM COVID-19 Vaccination Second-Dose Reminder.
Most employers plan on using the carrot approach to encourage employees to get vaccinated.
- Most organizations are being sensitive to cultural and personal beliefs regarding vaccines.
- Legal ramifications are a concern and employers are taking the “wait and see” approach before making vaccines a mandatory requirement.
- Many organizations are starting to think about how they bring the entire workforce back to the office and are considering limiting employees without a vaccine from certain activities.
- There is optimism that once the availability of the vaccine increases, there will be a return to work in a greater capacity later this year.
Employers are going to have to turn to local resources to identify options for vaccinating employees – at least for now.
Employers must cover the cost of ADMINISTRATION of the vaccine; for now, the federal government is picking up the tab for the cost of the vaccine. Most plan administrators are following CMS reimbursement guidelines = $16.94 for the first dose, $28.29 for the second dose.
Employers who are allowing local providers to come onsite to administer vaccines should have legal counsel weigh in on plans to ensure (1) equitable access (2) liability considerations are covered (3) all preventive measures for adverse event treatment are made available.
Refer to Alliant’s Road to Recovery, Vaccine Authorization, Now What? presentation for more detailed information.
More Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Alliant Employee Benefits’ COVID-19 Resources page
COVID-19 News and Statistic for the U.S.
This information is provided by Alliant Insurance Services, Asinta's partner in the United States of America.Employee Benefits in the United States of America
Get insights on mandatory and common supplementary employee benefits in the United States of America.
Top 6 Vaccine Considerations
Use our decision matrix to help support your employees.
Page last modified: January 16, 2021
The information presented on this site is current as of the date initially posted; and, because matters related to COVID-19, the vaccine, and compliance measures are changing so quickly, it may not be current as of the date you read it. While the information gathered here is from Asinta global partners who are subject matter experts in their respective fields, this information is not meant to be a substitute for individual legal or medical advice, or as a substitute for advice in your specific situation.