Concierge health care provider investigated over COVID-19 vaccinations

A congressional subcommittee is investigating a concierge health care company accused of giving the COVID-19 vaccine to people who aren’t yet eligible.

For a $199 membership fee, One Medical promises what it calls “exceptional primary care,” including easy access to doctors.

In Washington, it has four locations in Seattle and one in Bellevue.

On Tuesday, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis began investigating One Medical, citing news reports about how the company provides the COVID-19 vaccine.

Chair James Clyburn wrote to One Medical’s CEO alleging the company has “repeatedly and intentionally disregarded vaccine eligibility requirements” by “diverting vital vaccine doses away from vulnerable populations to benefit wealthy concierge clients and friends and family members of your company’s executives.”

An NPR story last week cited internal communications, including from a doctor in Washington state who wrote about a healthy young tech worker able to get a vaccine.

According to NPR, the doctor wrote: “I’m curious how these [people] are able to sign up for vaccines when we have a long list of higher priority [patients]?”

The Washington State Department of Health stated it received a complaint on Feb. 10 about One Medical requiring people to sign up for a free trial membership to get the vaccine.

The state stated it paused sending vaccines to warn the company and has been talking with the company about changing its appointment system and confirming that patients are eligible.

State officials said the complaint was limited to the membership requirements and did not allege ineligible people were vaccinated in Washington.

The state sent just under 3,175 vaccine doses to One Medical and stated the company is cooperative and might become eligible again to provide the vaccine.

State officials did not require One Medical to return any vaccines, so health department officials say scheduled second doses should not be affected.

On its webpage, One Medical states, “We’re committed to the swift and equitable distribution of vaccines - and we continue to evolve our approach to maintain strict adherence to eligibility requirements in each county.”

Cox Media Group