These new details come a day after the company confirmed to ABC7 News that they had fired several members of their clinical staff for their “ willful disregard ” of eligibility requirements. Several current members of One Medical tell ABC7 that they plan to cancel their membership after seeing people in their 40s jump ahead.
San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Marin, and Alameda counties – including the city of Berkeley – have all discontinued vaccine supplies to One Medical.
“It’s really discouraging to hear,” said Andrew Levy, a current member of One Medical. “I have elderly parents who are struggling to get the vaccine.”
Levy has been a member for the past five years. But now he is considering cutting ties with the company.
“My health care provider must live up to my values,” he said. “I’m sorry if they try to cheat.”
Another member anonymously told the I-Team that “many” people had crossed the line five weeks ago at the One Medical Four Embarcadero clinic.
“When I lined up at One Medical to get my vaccination, a number of people under the age of 65 waited for their shot and they all got their shot that day,” a vetted source told ABC7. “They shouldn’t do it, other caregivers haven’t been able to get it, teachers haven’t been able to get it … the system isn’t right.”
According to a letter to One Medical Monday, the San Francisco Department of Public Health allows the company to administer second doses to pre-planned patients, but the health department has ordered the return of the remaining 1,600 doses.
San Mateo County Public Health has canceled their contract with the company after an ongoing complaint revealed that 70 ineligible people had been vaccinated.
Marin County released the following statement:
“We have only given One Medical sufficient doses to complete the second dose vaccinations they are required to give to the people who received the first doses (we advise residents to seek their second dose from the source of their first dose). indefinitely suspended all first-dose allocations to One Medical, pending further review. We have also removed One Medical from our website as a recommended vaccine provider in Marin County. “
Santa Clara County released the following statement:
“The county provided vaccination doses to One Medical for approximately 300 health professionals of their workforce. No future allocations of vaccination doses are planned for One Medical.”
Alameda County made the following statement:
At the end of January, Alameda County assigned 975 doses of Pfizer vaccine so that they could vaccinate the Phase 1a health workers who were their members. After that initial assignment, they were not assigned any other doses. Alameda County did not comply with One Medical’s next request. . in early February for additional doses when they indicated they planned to vaccinate more than their health professionals (who were the only approved vaccine-priority group at the time). We have not assigned additional doses to One Medical. “
Sonoma, Napa and Contra Costa counties have told ABC7 that they are not under contract with One Medical.
“Anything that happens to slow people who need it the most to get the vaccine is killing someone,” said Mike Wasserman, who is a member of the California Vaccine Advisory Committee.
A doctor told ABC News they have a ‘zero tolerance policy’ for any case of preferential vaccine treatment. The company charges $ 199 for an annual membership.
“We support our policy that ineligible employees, members or business affiliates are intentionally given the opportunity to cross the line. Any suggestion that there is a well-known and accepted practice for making these types of concessions is unequivocally incorrect, ”said a One Medical spokesman.
A doctor also said they maintain numerous checkpoints where people have routinely turned down who do not meet the eligibility criteria. The company added that a majority of their vaccination pool does not include paying members, but referrals from health departments.
In January, Andrew Diamond, the company’s Chief Medical Officer, told ABC7 that he encouraged everyone to apply for a 30-day trial membership.
“This is kind of a loophole. If you get the 30-day trial, could you possibly get the COVID-19 vaccine through One Medical?” Luz Pena from ABC7 asked.
‘Absolutely. That’s the whole point, ”said Diamond. “Our goal is to get people vaccinated as soon as possible and get as many people vaccinated as possible,” said Diamond.
ABC7 has requested an interview with One Medical, but has not yet received a response from the company.
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