By Carmen Reinicke
-
CNBC + Acorns
Some people continue to postpone their vaccination against COVID-19, despite increasing immunization mandates.
Those who have not yet been vaccinated have been banned from some restaurants, trips and other activities.
There
could
also
be significant financial costs for those who have not yet been immunized
.
Of course, the incentives and demands have contributed to increasing the country's vaccination rate.
For example, the airline United Airlines, which forced its employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine this summer, now has a vaccination rate in its workers of almost 100%.
About 600 United Airlines workers are on the brink of firing for refusing the vaccine
Sept.
29, 202100: 31
And more rules are coming: The Joe Biden Administration reported that it
will require all employers with 100 or more workers to ensure their employees are vaccinated or tested weekly
.
It has also asked all federal workers and contractors and healthcare professionals to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Here's how not being vaccinated will affect your wallet.
The job
Many bosses are demanding that workers get vaccinated against the virus and are firing those who refuse to do so.
Airlines such as United, Southwest, American, JetBlue and Alaska have imposed vaccination.
This week, Northwell Health, New York State's leading healthcare system, laid off 1,400 workers who refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
California is the first state to require the COVID-19 vaccine for eligible students
Oct. 1, 202101: 43
"The biggest cost is losing your job,"
said Cynthia Cox, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation and director of the program on Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act.
"That has become a problem that more people face as more and more employers implement vaccination mandates," he explained.
In some cases,
the requirements even extend to family members
.
A health care system in Louisiana said this week it would charge workers an additional $ 200 a month to insure unvaccinated spouses or partners.
Lorna Lucas, 81, receives the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19 shortly before her husband, Winston (left) at Guy's Hospital, London, December 8, 2020.Victoria Jones / AFP via Getty Images
Insurance
Other companies are taking a different approach and passing the price of higher insurance on to employees who remain unimmunized.
Delta Air Lines, for example, has not forced its workers to get vaccinated against the virus, it is the only major airline that does not require it, but it
will make those not vaccinated pay $ 200 more a month.
There could be additional insurance expenses in the future.
Many health insurance providers already apply a surcharge to smokers, which they may impose on those who do not get vaccinated.
Medical expenses
Medical treatment for COVID-19 will also come at a higher price and is likely to hit the unimmunized the most, who now
account for about 97% of those hospitalized for the disease.
In the early days of the pandemic, most insurers gave up payments for coronavirus treatment.
Now those waivers are expiring, meaning
patients will have to pay any bills they accumulate during their hospital stay for COVID-19.
Businesses that violate the vaccine requirement in Los Angeles can be fined up to $ 5,000
Oct. 6, 202101: 05
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, between July and August, hospitalizations of unvaccinated people, considered preventable, have cost the health system $ 5.7 billion.
"The cost is borne primarily by taxpayers and people who pay health insurance premiums," Cox said.
Those not vaccinated
will
also
have to pay for the tests they need to show that they do not have COVID-19
.
Of course, this is an expense that will also carry over to those who are vaccinated and still need to get it - the price typically ranges from $ 20 to $ 1,419 for a single test, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
In some cases, however, they can cost significantly more.
A woman who opposes COVID-19 vaccination mandates holds a sign in front of City Hall in downtown Los Angeles.
September 18, 2021 Damian Dovarganes / AP
"There is no requirement that they have to be covered or free," Cox said, referring specifically to on-the-job testing for the unvaccinated.
"That can increase over time if you have to get tested every week," he warned.
The education
Schools across the country now require that all qualifying teachers, staff and students be vaccinated against COVID-19.
This includes about 500 universities.
For college students who are not vaccinated, refusing to receive the inoculation could leave them without attending school in person and losing some of the benefits of being on campus.
Teachers who do not get vaccinated will be suspended and replaced by substitutes in New York
Oct. 4, 202102: 01
"This disrupts the value of classroom and residential education if you are unable to participate in curricular activities," said Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of Colleges and Universities of America.
"That is a real loss," he added.
They will also have to pay the bill for additional exams if they are allowed on campus.
In some extreme cases, they can run out of scholarships
: A Brigham Young University student lost $ 200,000 in scholarships because she did not want to get vaccinated, the Daily Mail reported.
The holidays
Being unimmunized can add costs to your vacation.
Cruise lines like Carnival, for example, are requiring all unvaccinated passengers to have travel insurance and cover the price of $ 150 for their COVID-19 tests.
The required travel insurance must have a minimum of $ 10,000 per person in coverage of medical expenses
and $ 30,000 for emergency medical evacuation and without COVID-19 exclusions, according to the cruise line.
Carnival cruises will require passengers over 12 to be vaccinated against COVID-19
Aug. 24, 202100: 22
"This is something that vaccinated passengers do not have to pay for,"
said Laura Ratliff, editorial director of TripSavvy.
In addition, conditions will soon be stricter for travelers due to legislation that will take effect in November.
Previously, international travelers returning to the United States had to prove negative 72 hours before their flight.
Next month, unvaccinated Americans returning to the country will have to test negative within 24 hours of travel.
Even now,
testing requirements can add hundreds or thousands of dollars in expense to a vacation
.
This will likely be worse for those who remain unvaccinated.
Los Angeles already requires to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend concerts and other events
Oct. 8, 202101: 49
"It's very expensive,"
says James Ferrara, president of the network of home travel advisers InteleTravel.
"And perhaps the biggest expense is the problems, the worries, the annoyances, the frustration and the confusion," he lamented.
The costs of dying
The unvaccinated will have to face the costs of death, as the virus has so far killed more than 700,000 Americans, making it the deadliest pandemic in American history.
Unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die
from the virus than vaccinated people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"There is a real risk of dying," Cox said.
"Then
his family is left with the expense of the funeral, the care at the end of life and the loss of their income."
This article is part of the
Invest in You Ready series.
Set.
Grow
(Invest in you: Ready. Done. Grow), an initiative of CNBC and Acorns, the microinvestment app.
NBC Universal and Comcast Ventures are
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investors
.