Got the vaccine recently? If a proposal put forth by the Biden administration today comes to fruition, it could be worth $100.
According to an announcement from the Treasury Department, President Biden is calling for $100 payments to be given to newly vaccinated Americans as an incentive to get the COVID vaccination.
The funds would come from money set aside in the American Rescue Plan which allocated $350 billion to states, territorial, and local governments in the form of the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program.
The Treasury Department is urging state, territorial and local governments to use the funds to enhance their vaccination efforts by providing individual vaccine incentives, in this case, the $100 payments. The agency had previously determined that governments receiving the funds can use them to to provide such financial incentives.
The Treasury Department said that it is ready to provide “technical assistance to state and local governments so that they may use the funds effectively to support increase vaccination in their communities, and Treasury will partner with the Department of Health and Human Services throughout this effort.”
The White House said in a statement:
Today, the President will call on states, territories, and local governments to do more to incentivize vaccination, including offering $100 to those who get vaccinated. Throughout America’s vaccination efforts, we have seen that financial incentives serve as a motivating factor for some people to get vaccinated. When the grocery store Kroger started offering $100 to their associates to get vaccinated, it saw vaccination rates increase from 50% to 75%. States like New Mexico, Ohio, and Colorado have piloted $100 incentive programs that have also helped move the dial on vaccinations. According to research from the University of California, Los Angeles, roughly one-third of unvaccinated individuals said a cash payment would make them more likely to get a shot. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) provided states, territories, and localities resources that can be used to offer incentives to increase vaccination rates, and today, the President will call on every state, territory, and local government to use this ARP funding to provide $100 to anyone who gets vaccinated.
President Biden is also expected to announce a new vaccine requirement for all federal employees today that would either require them to be fully vaccinated against COVID or submit to “regular testing, social distancing, mask requirements and travel limits.”
Other Vaccine Incentives for Federal Employees
At least two insurance companies with plans under the Federal Employees Health Benefits program (FEHB) have offered financial incentives for federal employees who get the COVID vaccine. To learn more, see:
