$40 A Shot – The Money, The Mandates, and The End of COVID EUA

Most people don’t know this… Hospitals weren’t just pushing staff COVID shots for “health.” There was money on the line.

CMS made it so hospitals could bill about $40 per COVID shot, and staff vaccination rates were tied to federal funding and quality bonuses. This system made it harder—sometimes nearly impossible—for nurses to get religious or medical exemptions approved.

Then, on August 1, 2025, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ended that funding pressure. Plus, on August 27, the FDA rescinded the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) that once supported broad COVID vaccine mandates under the Biden administration, drastically scaling back who could legally receive COVID shots

In this episode of Nurses Out Loud, Jodi follows the money trail:
● How taxpayer dollars flowed from Congress through HHS/CMS to care providers.

● Why exemptions were often discouraged in the name of “compliance.”

● And how RFK Jr.’s policy choices—both financial and regulatory—reshape the rules of engagement at the bedside.

This isn’t just about shots—it’s about moral courage in action. Through the lens of the 2025 ANA Code of Ethics, especially Provisions 2 (commitment to the patient) and 5 (duty to self and integrity), we’ll unpack how policy and profit collide with conscience and care.

*"This is why I created the Righteous RN Ethics Course. In that course, we break down real-world cases like this—how CARES Act money flowed, how CMS policy shaped what happened on the floor, and how to respond with moral courage when the system puts you in a corner.
If you’re a nurse who wants to be prepared for the next time policy and paycheck collide, join me at RighteousRN.com.
Don’t miss a show! https://substack.com/@nursesoutloud

And if you want to see the proof for yourself, here are the links:
● HHS Press Release (Aug 1, 2025): https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-cms-end-vaccine-reporting-incentives.html

● CMS COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Rates: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/covid-19-vaccine-toolkit/medicare-covid-19-vaccine-shot-payment

● CARES Act Provider Relief Fund Overview: https://www.hrsa.gov/provider-relief
● https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5473277-covid-vaccine-emergency-use-fda-rfk/

We can’t change the past, but we can sure as heck learn from it. And the more nurses understand what really happened, the better we can protect ourselves, our patients, and our profession moving forward.