Most of us imagined that it was just a matter of time when wealthy people would jump the line and get their coveted COVID-19 vaccine. Some of us even suspected they’d already gotten it.
Well, it turns out this conspiracy theory may have some legs.
According to reporting by The Los Angeles Times, calls to hospitals with offers of huge donations have been pouring in.
“We get hundreds of calls every single day,” Dr. Ehsan Ali, who runs Beverly Hills Concierge Doctor and boasts of big-name clients such as Justin Bieber, tells the Times. “This is the first time where I have not been able to get something for my patients.”
And Dr. Jeff Toll, who has admitting privileges at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, tells the Times that one wealthy patient asked him, “If I donate $25,000 to Cedars, would that help me get in line?’” Toll told the patient no.
While Ali and Toll may not be able to get the well-heeled what they want right now, those who pay for concierge medicine to the tune of $2,000 to $25,000 a year, are able to be put on a waiting list, potentially jumping ahead of healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, and other essential workers – just because if you’re rich, that’s simply how it works.
The high-powered crowd have doctors putting together client’s medical records peppered with possible COVID-19 risks and buying up freezers to keep on-hand for when the vaccine becomes available to them.
For now, though, the uber-rich will have to wait -- just like the rest of us.