HealthPartners Recalls Errant Vaccine Appointments

By J. Patrick Coolican, the Minnesota Reformer

January 25, 2021

HealthPartners, the major Minnesota insurer and health care provider, is having to tell an unknown number of Minnesotans who signed up for COVID-19 vaccine appointments this week that they won’t be getting them, the company confirmed to the Reformer.

“There are process improvements we’re putting in place so we don’t have any situation like this going forward,” said David Martinson, a spokesman for the company.

Here’s what happened: The company sent out a link to signup for a vaccine appointment to HealthPartners workers, as well as health care workers at other companies with whom HealthPartners has an agreement to provide vaccination.

Those workers then forwarded it on to an unknown number of other family and friends, who signed up for vaccines even though they are not health care workers or otherwise eligible for vaccination.

HealthPartners is reaching out to people who are not eligible to inform them their vaccine appointment has been canceled, and also requiring all people with appointments this week to show ID proving they are a health care worker. Martinson said HealthPartners will close the loophole going forward.

In other vaccine news, Brian Bakst reports that Minnesota will soon have a five day event of vaccination for teachers and child care workers at St. Paul RiverCentre.

And, Gov. Tim Walz is rolling out a lottery system for people older than 65. Pre-registration begins Tuesday at 5 a.m. Do it here. People who signed up last week and were waitlisted are automatically pre-registered.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..