1 in 6 US parents are choosing not to vaccinate their kids. Why — and how vaccine hesitancy can hit your bottom line

A recent poll by The Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) revealed that 1 in 6 American parents have delayed or skipped at least one childhood vaccine, not counting the flu and COVID-19 shots (1).

And 9% of the surveyed parents also admitted to skipping core vaccinations, like polio or measles, mumps and rubella (MMR).

Experts, as with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), say that childhood vaccines are built to save lives and protect kids — so why are these parents choosing not to vaccinate?

The poll shows that lack of trust is a big factor, with 86% of parents who skip or delay vaccines citing worries about potential side effects and risks of the shots. But 12% of the parents surveyed cited a reason for not vaccinating as being that their insurance wouldn’t cover the vaccinations, or that the cost was too high.

Beyond the health risks, can skipping vaccines actually hit parents in the wallet?

Doctors and public health experts stress that the childhood vaccine schedule is built to save lives and protect kids when they’re most vulnerable.

According to the CDC, before the chickenpox vaccine, the disease killed as many as 150 people a year and sent thousands more to the hospital. Most shots are recommended in the first two years of life, when kids face the highest risk of severe illness and when they’re most likely to spread it to others, like at a daycare.

So the big question is, can opting out of vaccinations impact your insurance?

If you buy insurance on your own through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, the ACA prohibits insurers from denying coverage or charging higher premiums because of health status, including vaccination history.

When it comes to your workplace, it can be a bit more complex. In 2021, the Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services jointly announced that employers could offer a premium surcharge as it related to COVID-19 vaccinations.

Delta Airlines imposed a $200 surcharge in August 2021, to offset the costs of COVID-19 treatment since the average hospital stay cost the company $40,000 per person, reports Forbes (2). But, by April of 2022, they’d removed the requirement, saying the number of cases had declined.

Life insurers check all sorts of mortality risk factors like age, medical history and lifestyle. No mainstream insurers are denying claims or policies based solely on vaccine status (3), and the American Council of Life Insurers put out a statement saying, “The fact is that life insurers do not consider whether or not a policyholder has received a COVID vaccine when deciding whether to pay a claim” (4).

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Even if your health or life insurance premiums don’t go up, if you skip standard childhood immunizations, you could face other money-related challenges, like higher medical costs.

If your child comes down with a vaccine-preventable disease, like chickenpox or measles, there could be hospitalizations, specialist care and maybe even long-term complications. These costs can run high, and if your insurance coverage is limited, you may end up paying out of pocket.

The cost can come from the disruption itself. It’s every parent’s nightmare when their child gets seriously ill. If they have to miss school, it can mean parents also missing work or having to pay for more child care. Illness can also cause trip cancellations and potential penalty fees — yet another outcome that has a financial impact.

If you’re skipping vaccinations for your kids and you’re concerned about insurance implications, you should call your health and life insurers to get their guidance. You can ask them whether or not your child’s vaccination status will affect your premiums or coverage.

At the end of the day, skipping vaccines isn’t just about deciding what’s best for your child’s health, it could also hit your wallet in ways you may not expect.

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The Washington Post-KFF (1); Forbes (2); Office of the Insurance Commissionaer (3); American Council of Life Insurers (4)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.