High-End Medical Provider Reportedly Let Ineligible People Skip COVID-19 Vaccine Line

A national health care provider has administered COVID-19 vaccinations to people deemed ineligible for the scarce vaccine by local health departments, including people with connections to company leaders and customers of its concierge medical service, according to internal communications leaked to NPR.

San Francisco-based One Medical has been allocated thousands of vaccine doses by local health departments in some of the areas it provides medical services. Ineligible individuals with connections to company leadership were set up with vaccine appointments, and patients who were disqualified from receiving the vaccine were nonetheless permitted to skip the line ahead of other high-risk patients.

The problems have occurred in numerous company locations across several states. The Washington State Department of Health, citing a complaint it received this month, told NPR it had halted COVID-19 vaccine distribution to the company. Other regulators have also received complaints or stopped providing the vaccine.

One Medical has branded itself as a high-end health care provider serving a relatively affluent clientele, with each customer paying a $199 fee annually to receive easy online access to appointments, telemedicine and access to a streamlined, tech-focused medical experience. The company went public with an initial public offering in January 2020, with a valuation in the billions of dollars.

One Medical's shortcomings take place amid broader anecdotal evidence that suggests patients throughout the U.S. are skipping the line due in part to loose enforcement. The situation highlights a serious ethical issue: determining who is entitled to a vaccine at a time of scarce availability and who is responsible for enforcing eligibility rules.

Experts say an appropriate system for vaccine distribution focuses on first targeting those most at risk for serious consequences from COVID-19. "We're trying to focus on those individuals who are most likely to develop severe illness or death and to most likely be exposed to the virus," said Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz, who teaches medical ethics and health policy at the Baylor College of Medicine. "The overall goal is to save as many lives as possible, and with that we are not valuing any life over another."...