Why companies won't mandate COVID vaccinations

Invent Health with Dr. Archana Dubey and Bambi Francisco Roizen; Episode 5

The Invent Health weekly podcast with Dr. Archana Dubey and Bambi Francisco Roizen is the only weekly podcast that breaks down the latest digital health news of the week and what it means for patients, providers and payers (or who's paying). Plus a deep dive on a particular topic to help listeners understand how innovation is changing the healthcare paradigm.

This week, Archana and Bambi are a bit under the weather. Both their families had been hit with COVID. In the case of Bambi, her brother was in the hospital on oxygen while half a dozen had gotten infected. You'll be able to note the lack of energy in their voices. They apologize in advance. As for the news, they talk about Ransomware hits Scripps Health, disrupting critical care; and Collective Health raising $280 million; Headway raising $70 million, and what all this means during this digital health boom that's starting to overwhelm payers and providers.

The deep dive is in whether companies should mandate vaccinations and whether legally they can. An interesting stat shows that about two-thirds of companies will require proof of vaccination (for at least some of their employees), according to ASU/Rockefeller Foundation survey. Yet only 1% mandate vaccinations, according to Littler. And now OSHA is requiring companies to be liable for any adverse effects due to the COVID vaccine, a move that clearly will dissuade companies from mandating.  

Editor's note: On May 19 we will be hosting the Future of Mental and Behavioral Health 2021 virtual event. We'll have top-level VCs and C-level executives from the leading mental and behavioral companies, such as Teladoc's BetterHelp, Amwell, Doctor on Demand, Kaiser Permanente, Bessemer Ventures and more.