We live in a society where more money means better healthcare. And that’s never been more clear than during the coronavirus crisis. It started back in March when there were few tests available and only those with symptoms were urged to get them. That’s when we learned entire NBA teams were getting tests. At the time New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio commented, “with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested. Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick.”
Now a month later, more stories emerge about the wealthy getting preferential treatment. Today, The Miami Herald spotlights a private island “nestled between Miami and Miami Beach and accessible only by boat or helicopter” where anyone who wants a test, can get one.
Fisher Island — an exclusive enclave of multimillion-dollar condos and homes and one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country — has purchased thousands of rapid COVID-19 blood test kits from the University of Miami Health System for all of its residents and workers.
And don’t be fooled, tests aren’t easy to obtain in Miami. People have been waiting for hours to get tests and many, even some with symptoms, still find it impossible to obtain one. The Herald writes:
The purchase and availability of the testing are in sharp contrast to much of the rest of the state, where only about 1 percent of the population has been tested for the deadly virus that has caused a global pandemic. Most people who want a test have to meet certain criteria during a screening. Then an appointment must be set up, which generally means a lengthy wait in line. Those without vehicles can’t even access drive-thru testing sites.
But that wouldn’t cut it on Fisher Island, where yearly memberships in the Fisher Island Club cost about $250,000 and the average annual income was $2.5 million in 2015 — the highest of any ZIP code in America…
The superintendent of Miami-Dade schools wrote:
I cannot reconcile the shoeless, mask-less, hungry children we fed today with this headline. Everyone on exclusive Fisher Island, even the staff, can get tested for coronavirus.
Fisher Island is just a microcosm for other rich communities around the country.
NPR spoke with New York Times economics writer Nelson Schwartz about this:
“One of the most striking aspects of the emergency of coronavirus is the inability to get tested,” he notes. But Schwartz says that concierge doctors — primary care physicians who charge several thousands of dollars a month for access to care — have been able provide their patients with COVID-19 tests that might otherwise be impossible to obtain.
“One concierge doctor I spoke to rounded up viral swabs ahead of time,” Schwartz says. “He was able to arrange testing for his clients when others couldn’t get tests.”
And it’s not just tests. We’ve seen reports that the wealthy are trying to buy their own ventilators and some are stocking up on drugs like hydroxychloroquine, just in case they get coronavirus. These are luxuries most of the country simply can’t afford, nor is it ethical.
The Wall Street Journal recently wrote:
Money can’t stop you from catching or dying from the new coronavirus. But it can buy you an attentive doctor, faster testing, a luxury spot for self-isolation and even an at-home intensive-care setup complete with a ventilator.