HUGE: CMS ends federal financial incentives tied to childhood vaccination rates
By lauraharris // 2026-01-06
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  • The federal government will stop paying physicians based on how many patients they vaccinate, ending incentive-based vaccination metrics at the federal level.
  • CMS told states it does not link physician payments to immunization performance under Medicaid and CHIP, and strongly discouraged states from using vaccination rates in payment programs.
  • States will no longer be required to report childhood vaccination rates, though they may continue to submit the data voluntarily.
  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and several physicians praised the policy, saying it protects informed consent, religious liberty and medical freedom while helping rebuild trust between doctors and families.
  • Supporters argue that vaccine-related financial incentives distorted medical judgment and prioritized financial benchmarks over individualized care, potentially contributing to rising childhood chronic disease rates.
The U.S. federal government will no longer pay physicians based on the number of patients they vaccinate. According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, the federal government and the pharmaceutical industry have engineered a financial incentive system that ties childhood vaccination rates to monetary rewards for healthcare providers, schools and state agencies, effectively transforming public health into a profit-driven enterprise. Pediatricians receive bonuses (e.g., $400 per fully vaccinated child) from insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield for achieving high compliance rates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) schedule, while schools risk losing federal funding if vaccination rates fall below state-mandated thresholds. However, in a memo dated Dec. 30, 2025, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) told state health officials that it does not link physician payment to immunization performance measures under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). CMS also urged states to move away from similar financial incentive programs, though states will still be allowed to adopt their own policies. Under the new approach, CMS will no longer require states to report childhood vaccination rates, although states may still voluntarily submit the data. "CMS does not tie payment to performance on immunization quality measures in Medicaid and CHIP at the federal level. While states have flexibility and discretion to use quality measures in state developed value based purchasing and payment incentive fee for service or managed care programs, CMS strongly discourages states from using immunization measures in payment arrangements," the agency wrote. Moreover, the agency said it plans to explore ways to strengthen informed consent practices and consider how religious exemptions to vaccination are reflected in data collection and performance measures.

Kennedy and advocates praise the end of federal vaccine incentives

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., several physicians and advocacy groups have welcomed the new federal policy. "Government bureaucracies should never coerce doctors or families into accepting vaccines or penalize physicians for respecting patient choice. That practice ends now. Under the Trump administration, HHS will protect informed consent, respect religious liberty and uphold medical freedom," Kennedy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, while thanking the CMS. Supporters of the policy change like pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro, argue that removing incentives will improve clinical conversations and reduce administrative burdens. Perro said the policy change could help rebuild trust between doctors and families. "Any time a clinician's compensation is tied to a specific medical decision, especially one involving children, families reasonably ask, 'Is this recommendation for my child, or for a metric?' Even the appearance of a conflict can erode trust, and trust is the foundation of pediatric care and informed consent," Perro said. She also said payment-linked targets can bypass shared decision-making and place pediatricians who opt out at a competitive disadvantage. Holland went further, arguing that incentive-driven vaccination policies have contributed to rising rates of childhood chronic disease by prioritizing financial benchmarks over individualized care. "These perverse financial incentives to vaccinate children have warped the practice of medicine, putting bonus payments for meeting arbitrary thresholds over an individual child’s health," Holland said. "We have seen the damage with an exceptional rate of childhood chronic disease." Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield says RFK Jr. will be "the most consequential health secretary ever." Watch this video.
This video is from the TrendingNews channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheDefender.org Medicaid.gov X.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com
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