Aren't doctors paid to push vaccines?
Here is what the checked sources say. Each title links to the original.
The cost of giving childhood vaccinations: differences among provider types
A 2004 study of 12 Colorado practices and clinics measured what it cost them to give a shot. Not counting the vaccine itself, total cost per shot was $10.67 for pediatric practices and $7.57 for family practices, while average payment for giving it was $8.27 and $6.68. For pediatricians, payment barely covered variable costs and was 22% below total costs. The authors warned that practices might refer vaccinations to public health agencies, putting high immunization rates at risk. These are historical figures from one state.
Variation in provider vaccine purchase prices and payer reimbursement
A 2009 survey of a convenience sample of 76 private practices in five states compared what practices paid for vaccines with what the three most common non-Medicaid insurers repaid. The average gap between insurer payment and purchase price ranged from about $3 to more than $24 per dose depending on the vaccine, and the fee for giving a first dose averaged $16.62. Prices and payments varied widely. The study did not count storage, staff or other overhead costs, so the gap is not profit, and the figures are historical.
Do pediatricians recommend vaccines to make a profit? There's not much money in it
PolitiFact reported that when a child has private insurance, practices are paid for the vaccine and for giving it, but must buy, refrigerate and insure costly stock up front. Under the federal Vaccines for Children program the vaccine is free, but Medicaid payments often fall short of costs. Four pediatricians interviewed described small profits, breaking even or losses depending on their practice. Checking a claim by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that doctors are "paid to vaccinate," PolitiFact concluded there is not much money in it.
Do pediatricians make large profits from vaccines?
In a STAT opinion essay, four Unbiased Science authors describe their review of payment data from four major insurers across 50 states, state Medicaid fee schedules and pediatrician interviews. Fees for giving a shot vary: in Colorado commercial insurers pay a median $42 and Medicaid $21; in Mississippi around $22 and $11.68. The authors say many practices serving Medicaid and uninsured children lose money per dose, while others break even or earn modest margins. They say quality incentive payments come from insurers, and that drug companies paying pediatricians to vaccinate would be illegal.