COVID-19 Vaccination Status
Employees and their covered spouses/domestic partners who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pay less for medical coverage. Employees must verify their status as vaccinated or not vaccinated, as well as the status of their spouse/domestic partner. To pay lower, vaccinated rates under the medical Plan for a plan year, you and/or your covered spouse/domestic partner are fully vaccinated as follows:
- Two weeks after the second dose in a two-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or
- Two weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson's vaccine.
If you continue to remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, you may apply for a medical accommodation to be exempt from the Vaccine Medical Surcharge. As part of the medical accommodation request, you will need to provide documentation from your health care provider that shows that it is unreasonably difficult or inadvisable due to a medical condition for you to receive the vaccine (e.g., you are allergic to the ingredients in the vaccines). Refer to the U.S. Workplace Accommodation Guide (go/usaccommodations) for information on how to request an accommodation.
Your accommodation request, including any necessary documentation, must be submitted by December 10, 2021, in order to avoid the Vaccine Medical Surcharge beginning on January 1, 2022. Your accommodation request may also be submitted at any date thereafter, and the Surcharge will be removed as soon as practicable following the date your accommodation request was received.
If your medical accommodation request is denied, you have the right to file an appeal of this denial. JPMC has designated Cigna to receive and decide appeals. You should send your appeal — with the original request form and any additional documentation from your healthcare provider substantiating that it is unreasonably difficult due to a medical condition or medically inadvisable for you to receive the COVID-19 vaccine — within 180 days of your receipt of your Medical Accommodation Outcome Letter. You may include written comments and other information related to your request and email these to JPMCRequests@Cigna.com or fax to (877) 814-6597. You will receive a response to your appeal within 60 days of receipt of your appeal letter.
You will be expected to pay the Vaccine Medical Surcharge pending the outcome of the appeal. If your appeal is approved, you will be refunded the amount of the Vaccine Medical Surcharge that you have paid from the date of your initial medical accommodation request.
If your appeal is denied, in whole or in part, you have a final appeal that will be heard by a review panel that is independent of both the company and the claims administrator. Please see the "Steps in the Benefits Claims and Appeals Process" section of the Plan Administration section of this Guide for further information, including how to file this voluntary appeal.
If you have requested a medical accommodation related to the Vaccine Medical Surcharge, you have the right under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act ("ERISA") to receive, upon request and free of charge, copies of document records and other information relevant to your claim. If your appeal related to the surcharge is denied, you have the right to file a civil action under section 502(a) of ERISA.
For additional information regarding vaccine-related medical accommodations, go to the COVID-19 FAQs > Other > COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Workplace Accommodations (U.S. only).