"The American Academy of Pediatrics and The New York Times say there are no “perverse incentives” for doctors to push vaccines, as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently claimed.

But data from insurance incentive structures and an analysis of a pediatric practice’s income show that high vaccination rates are key to a profitable practice."

Source: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaccine-incentives-pediatrician-profits-rfk-jr-tucker-carlson/

= = = 

 

"Today, most major insurance providers offer incentives for various procedures and drugs, from the number of children vaccinated to the number of patients taking statins, undergoing breast or colorectal cancer screenings, or having their eyes dilated.

 

The metrics vary by insurer, and some vaccine incentives kick in even at low rates.

 

In the case of pediatric practices and vaccines, insurers typically pay incentives based on the percentage of children in a practice that receive all of the “Combo 10” vaccines, which are 24 or 25 shots of 10 vaccines recommended for children by age 2.

 

Meridian — a health insurance vendor that administers Medicaid, Medicare and Health Insurance Marketplace in Michigan — increases its incentives based on the percentage of children in a practice who get the shots.

 

In its program, providers serving Medicaid recipients get a $50-per-child incentive if they reach the 50th percentile for vaccination in their practice, where 27.49% of the children in their care receive Combo 10 shots on time."

 

= = =

 

Mod's note: posted content shortened to comply with forum fair use quoting policy.

More nonsense from a nonsense, vastly non-credible group -- the main anti-vax misinfo peddler group in the U.S.

 

 

"Overall, we rate the Children’s Health Defense a strong conspiracy and quackery level advocacy group that frequently promotes unsupported claims. We also rate them low for factual reporting due to the promotion of propaganda and several failed fact checks."

 

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/childrens-health-defense/

 

 

Credible info says the OP post is, predictably, nonsense!

Do pediatricians recommend vaccines to make a profit? There’s not much money there.

August 20, 2025

 

"Pediatric practices might make money providing vaccines to privately insured children, but many also participate in a program that vaccinates children for free. Overall, most practices likely break even or lose money. [emphasis added]

...

Dr. Christoph Diasio, a pediatrician at Sandhills Pediatrics in North Carolina, said the argument that doctors profit off of vaccines is counterintuitive.  "If it was really about all the money, it would be better for kids to be sick so you’d see more sick children and get to take care of more sick children, right?" he said.

...

Diasio said the driving force behind pediatric vaccine recommendations is straightforward: Trained physicians have seen kids die of vaccine-preventable diseases."

 

https://www.politifact.com/article/2025/aug/20/do-pediatricians-recommend-vaccines-to-make-a-prof/

 

5 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

More nonsense from a nonsense, vastly non-credible group -- the main anti-vax misinfo peddler group in the U.S.

 

 

"Overall, we rate the Children’s Health Defense a strong conspiracy and quackery level advocacy group that frequently promotes unsupported claims. We also rate them low for factual reporting due to the promotion of propaganda and several failed fact checks."

 

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/childrens-health-defense/

 

 

Always the messenger, never the content.  

Even though I made it easy for you, since I only posted easily verifiable figures...

Prove them wrong.

I can’t speak the the “Children’s Health Defense, one way or another, but the fact that “Media Bias Fact Check” claims they are not credible leads me to believe there are, or at least might be  credible. 

 

How many vaccines did you get at a kid? I think we’re up to 73 before the are of 18 in the US. 

 

 

10 minutes ago, mogandave said:

I can’t speak the the “Children’s Health Defense, one way or another, but the fact that “Media Bias Fact Check” claims they are not credible leads me to believe there are, or at least might be  credible. 

 

How many vaccines did you get at a kid? I think we’re up to 73 before the are of 18 in the US. 

Think it was 3,

Polio, Whooping cough, tetanus x2

Ask Jiffy Lube how often you should have your oil changed.

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

But data from insurance incentive structures and an analysis of a pediatric practice’s income show that high vaccination rates are key to a profitable practice.

 

So you're sayin' pediatricians are making bank pushing $5 vaccines when they'd be making gazillions treating meningitis, polio, diptheria, tetanus, 

 

What's the profit margin on iron lungs and a lifetime supply of oxygen?

 

During the polio epidemics, the iron lung saved many thousands of lives, but the machine was large, cumbersome, and very expensive: in the 1930s, an iron lung cost about $1,500—about the same price as the average home.

 

No, the evil "white-coats" choose to break even peddling vaccines rather than buying a new McMansion every two months! 

30 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Ask Jiffy Lube how often you should have your oil changed.

 

"Lubrication is only a theory"

 

Nothing like the money made by charlatans selling herbs, vitamins, homeopathic remedies.......they are the real criminals.....not a single noteworthy qualification between them.

 

I'd lump them all in with the "rub a cat on you head at midnight" brigade

55 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Think it was 3,

Polio, Whooping cough, tetanus x2

 

Back then, the autism rate was around 1 in 2500.  Today, it's more like 1 in 36.  I don't know if there's a correlation there, but I'm sure glad we finally have someone that's willing to delve into the data.

 

I also think this is part of the reason Americans are having fewer kids.  Who wants to risk a 1:36 chance that your family's future and finances will be devastated by an autistic child?  My nephew has one, non verbal.  He and his wife are absolutely loaded with money.  And they love their son.  But their lives look completely different with an autistic kid.  And not for the better.

 

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Dr. Christoph Diasio, a pediatrician at Sandhills Pediatrics in North Carolina, said the argument that doctors profit off of vaccines is counterintuitive.  "If it was really about all the money, it would be better for kids to be sick so you’d see more sick children and get to take care of more sick children, right?" he said.

 

You do realize that argument falls apart if the vaccines are making the kids sick, right?  I don't claim that's the case.  I don't know.  I'm just pointing out a glaring flaw in that logic.  That's not science.  It's nonsensical.

 

And I'm glad we finally have someone at HHS that's willing to look at the numbers and the data.

 

1 hour ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Dr. Christoph Diasio, a pediatrician at Sandhills Pediatrics in North Carolina, said the argument that doctors profit off of vaccines is counterintuitive.  "If it was really about all the money, it would be better for kids to be sick so you’d see more sick children and get to take care of more sick children, right?" he said.

 

8 minutes ago, impulse said:

You do realize that argument falls apart if the vaccines are making the kids sick, right?  I don't claim that's the case.  I don't know.  I'm just pointing out a flaw in that logic.  That's not science.  It's nonsensical.

 

But I DO claim that being injected with 83 vaccines during your youth, will definitely not contribute to your health and well-being.   

And the pay-for-performance schemes that provide a huge incentive for pediatricians to have your child vaccinated with every possible shot, so that the pediatrician meets his quota are absolutely perverse.  

 

Downvotes are only a theory.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

"The American Academy of Pediatrics and The New York Times say there are no “perverse incentives” for doctors to push vaccines, as U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently claimed.

But data from insurance incentive structures and an analysis of a pediatric practice’s income show that high vaccination rates are key to a profitable practice."

Source: https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/vaccine-incentives-pediatrician-profits-rfk-jr-tucker-carlson/

= = = 

 

"Today, most major insurance providers offer incentives for various procedures and drugs, from the number of children vaccinated to the number of patients taking statins, undergoing breast or colorectal cancer screenings, or having their eyes dilated.

 

The metrics vary by insurer, and some vaccine incentives kick in even at low rates.

 

In the case of pediatric practices and vaccines, insurers typically pay incentives based on the percentage of children in a practice that receive all of the “Combo 10” vaccines, which are 24 or 25 shots of 10 vaccines recommended for children by age 2.

 

Meridian — a health insurance vendor that administers Medicaid, Medicare and Health Insurance Marketplace in Michigan — increases its incentives based on the percentage of children in a practice who get the shots.

 

In its program, providers serving Medicaid recipients get a $50-per-child incentive if they reach the 50th percentile for vaccination in their practice, where 27.49% of the children in their care receive Combo 10 shots on time."

 

= = =

 

Mod's note: posted content shortened to comply with forum fair use quoting policy.

This is  so dumb. Why do you think insurance companies offer incentives? Because vaccines work and illnesses like measles cost a lot to treat.

2 minutes ago, jaywalker2 said:

This is  so dumb. Why do you think insurance companies offer incentives? Because vaccines work and illnesses like measles cost a lot to treat.

Yes, vaccines 'work' but whether they are beneficial has always been contested.  But the adverse effects from the mRNA Covid-shots has opened many people's eyes.  Vaccine hesitancy (and outright dismissal) is increasing every day, and for good reason. 

2 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/childrens-health-defense/

 

hahahahahahahahahahahah. 

7 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

hahahahahahahahahahahah. 

You missed out a "ha"! 😶‍🌫️

A typical pointless response from you on a very serious subject which you obviously either know nothing about or just don't care about in order to get your post/click count up!

1 hour ago, Red Phoenix said:

But I DO claim that being injected with 83 vaccines during your youth, will definitely not contribute to your health and well-being.   

That's utter bolx to use a medical sub naval term. It's misleading and not accurate for how vaccines are actually administered.

The "83 vaccines" claim appears to come from counting every individual antigen (disease component) in the entire childhood vaccine schedule from birth through age 18, rather than counting actual vaccine doses or visits. This is a misleading way to present the information.

Here's what the actual US childhood vaccine schedule looks like:

The CDC recommends vaccines against about 14-16 different diseases from birth through age 18. However, many of these are given as combination vaccines (like MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella in one shot), so the actual number of injections is much lower - typically around 25-30 shots total spread over 18 years.

Most vaccines are given in the first 2 years of life when children's immune systems need the most protection, with boosters later. A typical visit might involve 2-4 shots at once.

9 minutes ago, WorriedNoodle said:

The CDC recommends vaccines against about 14-16 different diseases from birth through age 18. However, many of these are given as combination vaccines (like MMR for measles, mumps, and rubella in one shot), so the actual number of injections is much lower - typically around 25-30 shots total spread over 18 years.

 

This is simply anti-nature humbug.

 

There is no '14-16 diseases'. Just made up nonsense.

 

3 hours ago, Red Phoenix said:

 

Always the messenger, never the content.  

Even though I made it easy for you, since I only posted easily verifiable figures...

Prove them wrong.

Did you get kicked out of school since about grade 6 and never returned?  It seems your ability to read never progressed beyond about that age.

 

@TallGuyJohninBKK criticized the 'messengers' content not his person.  You cannot tell the difference?

43 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

Did you get kicked out of school since about grade 6 and never returned?  It seems your ability to read never progressed beyond about that age.

 

@TallGuyJohninBKK criticized the 'messengers' content not his person.  You cannot tell the difference?

I quoted the actual $ figures that pediatricians make from meeting vax quota.  @TallGuyJohninBKK posted a fact check on the medium in which the article citing those figures were published.  

He critiziced the medium and not the content.  Seems that it's you that cannot make the difference.  3rd grader?

Another credible source showing the OP claims -- which originated with master anti-vax misinfo peddler RFK Jr. -- are false nonsense:

Kennedy Claims Doctors Profit Off Vaccines. In Fact, Many Lose Money on Them.

Experts said the health secretary’s remarks send a dangerous message: Don’t trust your physician.

 

July 15, 2025

...

"a few weeks ago, when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health and human services secretary, claimed in an interview with Tucker Carlson that vaccine profits created “perverse incentives” for pediatricians to push immunizations, Dr. Bartell was confused.

 

Doctors widely consider vaccines to be a money pit. Research shows that most pediatricians either break even or lose money on shots. One 2017 study found that nearly a quarter of family medicine providers and 12 percent of pediatricians stopped purchasing vaccines because of prohibitive costs. [emphasis added]

 

To many experts, suggesting otherwise not only ignored that data, but also sent a dangerous message: that patients should doubt their doctor’s motives in recommending vaccines.

 

“This idea that we vaccinate kids to make money honestly is misleading and dangerous,” said Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician and preventive medicine expert at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

 

(more)

 

New York Times

https://archive.ph/qwAoW

 

16 minutes ago, Red Phoenix said:

I quoted the actual $ figures that pediatricians make from meeting vax quota.  @TallGuyJohninBKK posted a fact check on the medium in which the article citing those figures were published.  

He critiziced the medium and not the content.  Seems that it's you that cannot make the difference.  3rd grader?

The medium is only a company that is not involved in legitimate journalism and has no standards to limit misinformation.  It is only limited by the constitutional constraints placed on free speech.  It is fair game to attack it as source when it feels no obligation to control accuracy of its content.  Such criticisms are not personal attacks ... they only point out the fact that it is not a reliable source.

 

No, Blue Cross Blue Shield physicians aren't paid a bonus to meet a vaccine quota

 

January 19, 2022

 

"Misleading claims that Blue Cross Blue Shield is paying doctors to meet child vaccination quotas have been spreading across social media.

...

Blue Cross Blue Shield is an association of 35 independent U.S. health insurance companies. The association does not provide bonuses for vaccinating a set number of child patients. [emphasis added]

 

"Every (Blue Cross Blue Shield) company sets its own value-based contracts with local providers," said a Blue Cross Blue Shield spokesperson. "The purpose of any performance-based incentives, where they exist, is to reward implementation of well-established evidence-based best practices in the care of our members. While vaccinations may fall into that category, they would not be the sole performance measure. Any incentives cover a broad collection of best practices." [emphasis added]

 

(more)

 

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jan/19/instagram-posts/no-blue-cross-blue-shield-physicians-arent-paid-bo/

 

 

 

7 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

The medium is only a company that is not involved in legitimate journalism and has no standards to limit misinformation.  It is only limited by the constitutional constraints placed on free speech.  It is fair game to attack it as source when it feels no obligation to control accuracy of its content.  Such criticisms are not personal attacks ... they only point out the fact that it is not a reliable source.

Then contest the $-figures  that pediatricians make from meeting vax quota, because that's the issue of this thread...

Not whether these are published on a site which Big Pharma-payed fact-checkers consider not reliable.  

 

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

No, Blue Cross Blue Shield physicians aren't paid a bonus to meet a vaccine quota

 

January 19, 2022

 

"Misleading claims that Blue Cross Blue Shield is paying doctors to meet child vaccination quotas have been spreading across social media.

...

Blue Cross Blue Shield is an association of 35 independent U.S. health insurance companies. The association does not provide bonuses for vaccinating a set number of child patients. [emphasis added]

 

"Every (Blue Cross Blue Shield) company sets its own value-based contracts with local providers," said a Blue Cross Blue Shield spokesperson. "The purpose of any performance-based incentives, where they exist, is to reward implementation of well-established evidence-based best practices in the care of our members. While vaccinations may fall into that category, they would not be the sole performance measure. Any incentives cover a broad collection of best practices." [emphasis added]

 

(more)

 

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/jan/19/instagram-posts/no-blue-cross-blue-shield-physicians-arent-paid-bo/

 

FALSE - The figure you 'fact-checked' is NOT from the article.  

Here are the $-figures quoted for Blue Shield:

> 

As part of commercial Blue Cross Blue Shield’s programs, providers receive a flat incentive payout of $175 per child for hitting the Combo 10 benchmark, $75 for the childhood flu shot, $150 for the adolescent Combo 2 and $75 for the adolescent HPV vaccine.

That’s a flat-rate incentive of $475 for every 13-year-old child, if all of the shots are given. According to the AAP, an average pediatric practitioner treats approximately 1,546 children — which means a bonus of $660,915 if 90% of those children take all of the shots.

 

Top 12 questions on routine vaccines

"Many people have questions about routine vaccinations: the need, safety, and rumors. YLE [Your Local Epidemiologist], in partnership with Yale School of Public Health, compiled an FAQ document of evidence-based information for you.

...

Do doctors get paid an incentive for vaccinations?

"Physicians do not get paid by pharmaceutical companies for vaccinations. Vaccination is often billed to insurance companies. But these administration fees are rarely worth it. Surveys of pediatricians report that most break even or even lose money from vaccination—because the costs of vaccine storage, handling, and the doses themselves are so high.

 

Some insurers have regional programs offering small financial incentives to pediatric practices for maintaining a certain level of vaccine uptake in their practices, but these programs are not universal, and the incentives are indeed small. The cost of vaccinating kids has gotten so high that some pediatric practices have stopped offering recommended vaccines."

 

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/api/v1/file/d67ee859-0f92-4d09-b691-da4a59f632c9.pdf

 

Your Local Epidemiologist:

"I’m Dr. Katelyn Jetelina—a public health enthusiast with a passion for making science accessible. I have a Master’s in Public Health and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. By day, I’m an epidemiologist, data scientist, scientific consultant to organizations."

8 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Top 12 questions on routine vaccines

"Many people have questions about routine vaccinations: the need, safety, and rumors. YLE [Your Local Epidemiologist], in partnership with Yale School of Public Health, compiled an FAQ document of evidence-based information for you.

...

Do doctors get paid an incentive for vaccinations?

"Physicians do not get paid by pharmaceutical companies for vaccinations. Vaccination is often billed to insurance companies. But these administration fees are rarely worth it. Surveys of pediatricians report that most break even or even lose money from vaccination—because the costs of vaccine storage, handling, and the doses themselves are so high.

 

Some insurers have regional programs offering small financial incentives to pediatric practices for maintaining a certain level of vaccine uptake in their practices, but these programs are not universal, and the incentives are indeed small. The cost of vaccinating kids has gotten so high that some pediatric practices have stopped offering recommended vaccines."

 

https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/api/v1/file/d67ee859-0f92-4d09-b691-da4a59f632c9.pdf

 

Your Local Epidemiologist:

"I’m Dr. Katelyn Jetelina—a public health enthusiast with a passion for making science accessible. I have a Master’s in Public Health and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. By day, I’m an epidemiologist, data scientist, scientific consultant to organizations."

 

Let's contrast your rebuttal that 'incentives are indeed small' with the Blue Shield flat-rate incentive of $475 for every 13-year-old child, if all of the shots are given. According to the AAP, an average pediatric practitioner treats approximately 1,546 children — which means a bonus of $660,915 if 90% of those children take all of the shots.

Yep, those incentive are peanuts, hahaha....