The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) last week announced a new guide to help employers, private health plans, the federal government, and state Medicaid agencies as they consider consumer financial incentives as part of a strategy to improve the quality of health care and get better value for what they spend on services. By using financial incentives, healthcare purchasers hope to encourage patients to take actions that either may improve the results of their treatment or reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary emergency room visits and decreasing preventable hospitalizations.
The decision guide consists of an evidence summary organized around a series of 21 questions that purchasers need to consider when implementing consumer financial incentives. The guide reviews the application of incentives to five types of consumer decisions, including selecting a high-value provider, choosing a high-value health plan, deciding among treatment options, and reducing health risks by seeking preventive care and by decreasing or eliminating high-risk behavior.
In addition to a summary of the evidence base, the guide includes examples of consumer financial incentives currently being offered, criteria for selecting performance measures, elements to enable patients to participate in medical decision making and in managing their chronic diseases, and characteristics that increase the likelihood that a consumer will respond to financial incentives.
