PODCAST: Brandon Copeland on Reaching Financial Freedom
Listen now:
Subscribe FREE wherever you listen:
Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast | RSS
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Billed for a COVID-19 Vaccine? Don't Pay
- A Champion’s Mindset: Failure is Not an Option
- Brandon Copeland Cope’ing with Money features
- Who is Brandon Copeland | Money Music Culture (YouTube)
Transcript:
David Muhlbaum: Brandon Copeland wears a lot of hats in addition to his Atlanta Falcons helmet. Yes, he's a professional football player, but also a real estate investor and personal finance educator. He's pursued that last mission in a number of places, including his alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania. But for the last year or so, we've been honored to have him join us as a contributing editor. We'll catch up with Professor Cope, also what to do if you get a bill for your COVID jab.
Welcome to Your Money's Worth. I'm Senior Online Editor David Muhlbaum. I'm joined by my co-host, Sandy Block. How are you doing, Sandy?
Sandy Block: Feeling great. I'm getting my COVID booster shot on Monday.
David Muhlbaum: Lucky you. I mean that. I'm not even being my usual sarcastic self. Well, was it hard to come by?
Sandy Block: No, actually I called up... I got the J&J, which means I'm eligible right away and I called up the CVS in a Target near my house and got an appointment. And that's great because I can maybe buy some bath towels while I'm there.
David Muhlbaum: Okay.
Sandy Block: But one thing did jump out at me and gave me some concern because when I made the appointment... I think when I got my first shot, I just went to a health care community center in Arlington. When I made the appointment with the CVS, they asked me for a ton of information about my insurance, my number, my group number. And I thought, "Does that mean I'm going to have to pay? Will my insurance company... Will I get a copay?" And a lot of people have that same question. This came up with the first round of vaccinations and I suspect it will come up again. Nearly a third of unvaccinated adults say they're concerned about out-of-pocket costs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, and those aren't-
David Muhlbaum: Out-of-pocket costs for a COVID shot?
Sandy Block: Yeah. That they'll get a copay. That they'll get a bill. And some people actually have been billed and frankly, given the state of our healthcare system, when was the last thing you got anything for free? I mean, usually there's something.
David Muhlbaum: Yeah. It seems like an anomaly.
Sandy Block: Yeah. It's definitely an anomaly that there's no copay, there's no... Oh, the other thing is people, so many of us now have high deductible insurance policies and people think, "Well, maybe I won't get billed, but it'll count against my... I will get billed later because I haven't met my deductible." So people are skeptical about this. We're not used to getting anything for free.
David Muhlbaum: Well, I have not gotten my flu shot yet and I'm meaning to, and maybe I should just mosey over there. But one of the things that does strike me is I see the signs that say, "Free flu shots." I mean-
Sandy Block: Right.
David Muhlbaum: ... is that new?
Sandy Block: No. I think that's just to get you in the door. It is... I believe that-
David Muhlbaum: And buy some towels.
Sandy Block: Yeah. Buy some towels. Well, I think that's a little disingenuous. I mean, under the ACA preventive care is -- insurance can't charge you for preventive care, but I suspect if you walk into one of those places and say, "I don't have any insurance," maybe that free would go away.
David Muhlbaum: Okay. But let's be clear with the COVID shot-
Sandy Block:With the COVID shot, it is absolutely free. Insurance-
David Muhlbaum: So if you just said, "I don't have any-"
Sandy Block: No, you get your shot.
David Muhlbaum: ... it shouldn't be a problem.
Sandy Block: You get the shot. And that's because, I'm just thinking about how I was going to express this. You've already paid for it. Taxpayers paid for the vaccination. So you have paid for your shot already. These Moderna and Pfizer and J&J are not giving these shots away out of the goodness of their hearts. They're subsidized by us, by the taxpayers.
David Muhlbaum: Okay. But the person sitting there in... Were you going to Target?
Sandy Block: Mm-hmm. Yes, I am going to Target.
David Muhlbaum: You're going to Target. The person sitting there in Target, who's paying for them?
Sandy Block: I think that... Well, that's a good question. I don't know. I don't know. I'll ask on Monday.
But because maybe
