# Death Lottery



## Buckeye (Jul 6, 2021)

The Governor of West Virginia made a statement that the unvaccinated are participating in a "Death Lottery".

WV Governor

WV has in place a modest lottery for those who get the jab

WV Vax Lottery


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## Aunt Marg (Jul 6, 2021)

I have _never_, and will _never_ put money ahead of my health.


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## Becky1951 (Jul 6, 2021)

And for some, getting the jab is Russian Roulette.


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## win231 (Jul 6, 2021)

I'd rather have that free taco.


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## Chris P Bacon (Jul 6, 2021)

We were entered into a sort of death lottery the moment we were born. They just haven't pulled our numbers yet. I see it as if I already won a _life_ lottery. The moment before I was conceived, there were millions of other sperm cells that were vying to fertilize the egg cell that eventually became me. So when someone says, "You're one in a million", you actually are. You're one in several million, more likely, so in that sense, we're all winners. Money is something that motivates people, fear is another. West Virginia is just appealing to human instinct.


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## fmdog44 (Jul 6, 2021)

I caught a comment recently that I believe was insurance companies are considering not insuring new Covid cases on people that refused to get the shot. I'm not sure that was the comment but I would not put it past our beloved insurance companies.


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## Becky1951 (Jul 6, 2021)

fmdog44 said:


> I caught a comment recently that I believe was insurance companies are considering not insuring new Covid cases on people that refused to get the shot. I'm not sure that was the comment but I would not put it past our beloved insurance companies.


False rumors like that are started to scare people into getting vaccinated!

Fact Check.
The claim: Insurance companies deny life insurance payouts after people received COVID-19 vaccine​More than 163 million people in the USA have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine as of May 23, and that doesn’t jeopardize their life insurance policies.

Claims that life insurance companies deny life insurance coverage to people who received a vaccine popped up again in May, two months after an industry trade group sought toquash similar rumors that circulated on social media.

An Instagram post that generated more than 1,200 likes as of May 23 claims that a “friends aunt” died and "was denied her life insurance because ... she willingly took an EXPERIMENTAL vaccine.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the COVID-19 vaccines  authorized for emergency use are safe and effective.

About 54% of Americans are covered under a life insurance policy, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Applications ticked up during the pandemic, mostly among younger people, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The account that shared the post declined to provide USA TODAY with additional details, including the name and contact information for the person who it said was denied or the insurance company responsible for the denial.

Industry groups, state regulators and individual insurers have said vaccine is not a factor in life insurance.

Insurance industry dispels vaccine myth​The insurance industry and regulators have pushed back against misinformation surrounding life insurance coverage and claims about payouts related to people who get COVID-19 vaccines.

In March, the American Council of Life Insurers responded to a social media post that said payouts were denied to beneficiaries when the insured received a vaccine.

“Life insurance policy contracts are very clear on how policies work, and what cause, if any, might lead to the denial of a benefit,” said Paul Graham, the organization’s senior vice president, in a statement March 12.

Whether someone received COVID-19 vaccine is not a consideration for life insurers deciding whether to pay a claim, he said.

“The COVID vaccine does not impact life insurance costs for coverage already in place," Jan Graeber, ACLI's senior health actuary, told USA TODAY. "For new coverage, and not just related to COVID, companies consider health factors as information is available and in accordance with regulations that govern the industry. As experience with COVID grows, there may be near-term impacts to consider, including with the vaccine and new virus strains and consumer behavior to mitigate risk. There may also be long-term impacts to consider as more information is gathered about COVID."

A Canadian trade group also responded in March to misinformation about the effect of a COVID-19 vaccine on life insurance.

States, where insurance companies are regulated, issued similar statements calming fears about coverage and payment denials.

Regulators in Maryland, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Washington state all said the same thing: Whether someone is vaccinated against COVID-19 is irrelevant to whether a life insurance claim would be paid. Industry groups in those states joined regulators in their statements.


“Pennsylvanians should be wary of social media posts and conversations claiming the vaccine will prevent them from obtaining life insurance policies or adversely impact their life insurance benefits; this is simply not true,” Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman said in a statement March 25.

Some individual life insurers said COVID-19 vaccine is not a factor in decisions about coverage or payment.

John Hancock’s application for life insurance doesn’t ask whether an individual has been vaccinated against COVID-19, the company posted March 15 on its website, and vaccination would not be factored into “the risk classification process.” Prudential’s website says COVID-19 vaccine does not affect eligibility determination in paying claims. 

"We do not ask about immunizations (for any virus/disease) through the application process and have no plans to ask about the COVID-19 vaccine," according to Lincoln Financial Group's website. "Therefore, the COVID-19 vaccine is not a factor in the underwriting process."

Our rating: False​Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that life insurance companies deny policy payouts because insured people received a COVID-19 vaccine. The American Council of Life Insurers, individual insurance companies and regulators in several states released statements saying COVID-19 vaccine is not a factor in determining whether an insurer will pay out on a life insurance policy.

Our fact check sources:​
The Associated Press, March 15, Getting COVID-19 vaccine does not affect life insurance death payments
American Council of Life Insurers, March 12, AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LIFE INSURERS (ACLI) RESPONDS TO SOCIAL MEDIA MISINFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINE
Money.com, April 8, True or False: You Can Be Denied Life Insurance if You Haven't Gotten a COVID-19 Vaccine
The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 1, Covid-19 Pandemic Motivates Younger People to Buy Life Insurance
Maryland Insurance Administration, March 30, Consumer Alert – Receiving a COVID-19 vaccination does not imperil life insurance benefits
John Hancock, March 15, John Hancock Underwriting and COVID-19
New York Department of Financial Services, accessed May 23, Life Insurance and the COVID-19 Vaccine
Lincoln Financial Group, accessed May 23, Applying for and managing your policy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Texas Department of Insurance, March 17, COVID-19 vaccinations don’t affect life insurance benefits
Prudential, accessed May 23, COVID-19 FAQ
Pennsylvania, March 25, Insurance Department, Insurance Industry Reassure Pennsylvanians COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Impact Life Insurance
FT Adviser, May 5, Warning issued over scam claiming Covid vaccine voids insurance
Reuters, March 19, Fact Check-Canadian company is not changing life insurance policies to negatively affect those who get vaccinated against COVID-19
Manulife, accessed May 23, The truth about COVID-19 vaccination and insurance coverage
National Association of Insurance Commissioners, accessed May 23, State Insurance Regulation
Britannica.com, May 11, The Top COVID-19 Vaccine Myths Spreading Online
Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association, March 8, Know the facts: Getting the vaccine will not affect your insurance coverage
Insurance Information Institute, accessed May 23, Facts + Statistics: Life insurance
Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, March 18, Kreidler sets record straight on vaccines and life insurance
Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, March 15, Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Confirms Getting Vaccinated Will Not Impact Life Insurance Policies
Pennsylvania Insurance Department, March 25, Insurance Department, Insurance Industry Reassure Pennsylvanians COVID-19 Vaccine Does Not Impact Life Insurance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed May 23, COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, May 11, Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines
American Council of Life Insurers senior health actuary Jan Graeber, May 21, response to USA TODAY
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...eopardize-life-insurance-coverage/5203188001/


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Jul 6, 2021)

Last I heard, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have some of the lowest vaccination rates. In these states, the unvaccinated are keeping hospital workers very busy. I guess it's not odd that certain states are always at the bottom in just about every category. West Virginia is #1 for obesity so I can see where the governor is very concerned.

“The simple math of that says by being unvaccinated makes you 15 times more likely to be hospitalized than if you’re fully vaccinated,” Williamson told ABC 33/40. Only about one third of Alabamians are fully vaccinated.

https://mynbc15.com/news/coronaviru...spitalized-with-covid-19-not-fully-vaccinated

Oh well, since it is the Bible Belt, I guess the majority is leaving it up to the guy above. Science be damned!


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## Buckeye (Jul 6, 2021)

Nosy Bee-54 said:


> {snip}
> *“The simple math of that says by being unvaccinated makes you 15 times more likely to be hospitalized than if you’re fully vaccinated,”* Williamson told ABC 33/40. Only about one third of Alabamians are fully vaccinated.
> 
> https://mynbc15.com/news/coronaviru...spitalized-with-covid-19-not-fully-vaccinated
> ...


And hence the phrase "death lottery"


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## chic (Jul 7, 2021)

Becky1951 said:


> And for some, getting the jab is Russian Roulette.


This is the thing no one will listen to, that there are many who cannot receive the vaccine due to a medical condition. This needs to be understood and not condemned.


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## Buckeye (Jul 7, 2021)

fmdog44 said:


> I caught a comment recently that I believe was insurance companies are considering not insuring new Covid cases on people that refused to get the shot. I'm not sure that was the comment but I would not put it past our beloved insurance companies.


I think this is in reference to health insurance, not life insurance.  As a matter of practicality, health insurers don't really have a choice but to cover those folks, but long term, they can adjust rates and charge more for the unvaxxed, just like they do for smokers, etc


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## RB-TX (Jul 7, 2021)

Buckeye said:


> The Governor of West Virginia made a statement that the unvaccinated are participating in a "Death Lottery".
> 
> WV Governor
> 
> ...


Interesting!  Don't you just love it when politicians give medical advice, and for free?


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Jul 9, 2021)

Well, this must be another case of Darwin Awards.

"Last month, 130 people died of Covid-19 in Maryland.* None of them were vaccinated*, according to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. In addition, unvaccinated people made up 95% of new Covid-19 cases in the state and 93% of new Covid-19 hospitalizations, Hogan said at a news conference Wednesday. The connection between vaccination status and Covid-19 is not specific to Maryland and is not limited to last month, medical experts have said."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/us/maryland-unvaccinated-covid-deaths/index.html

https://news.yahoo.com/every-single-person-maryland-died-220317520.html


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## Aneeda72 (Jul 9, 2021)

OMGosh, I just wonder how many times new threads are going to be opened on this same subject.  I would think we have all have just about talked ourselves into a coma on the subject of being vaccinated.  . Or not being vaccinated.  

So here is a question, *why, why do we keep talking about this?*


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## Sunny (Jul 9, 2021)

Nosy Bee-54 said:


> Well, this must be another case of Darwin Awards.
> 
> "Last month, 130 people died of Covid-19 in Maryland.* None of them were vaccinated*, according to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. In addition, unvaccinated people made up 95% of new Covid-19 cases in the state and 93% of new Covid-19 hospitalizations, Hogan said at a news conference Wednesday. The connection between vaccination status and Covid-19 is not specific to Maryland and is not limited to last month, medical experts have said."
> 
> ...


I saw that on the news yesterday also. How much more proof do people need?


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## Buckeye (Jul 10, 2021)

Here's some more information about the current status of the vaxxed versus the unvaxxed:

Those deaths were preventable

And this is why we need to keep talking about it...


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## Warrigal (Jul 10, 2021)

I had a phone call this afternoon from a friend who informed me that she has Covid and so have her parents. Her father is very sick and has been admitted to hospital.

I had lunch at my friend's home on June 24. Her mother was also there so I am now considered a close contact although, given the time that has elapsed, I am probably not at risk of Covid. Sydney is under stay at home orders and masks are mandatory for all indoor settings. It has been for 2 weeks now and will be for at least another week. We have hardly left the house except for essential shopping and medical appointments.

Hubby and I went immediately to the local hospital for a swab to be sure. A positive test will mean that we will quarantine at home with daily monitoring over the phone. Negative means we just carry on as usual under the stay at home protocols.

We have both had our initial AstraZenica jabs in early May and are due for the second by the end of this months. I am very grateful for even partial immunity today.


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## Warrigal (Jul 11, 2021)

Update on the Covid scare. 

Hubby, our daughter and myself have all tested negative. Much relief all round.


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## Buckeye (Jul 11, 2021)

Warrigal said:


> Update on the Covid scare.
> 
> Hubby, our daughter and myself have all tested negative. Much relief all round.


This is great news!


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