News You Can Use: Employees favor cost-sharing carrots

New stats from the Employee Benefit Research Institute show that workers favor using lower-cost sharing as an incentive to individuals to improve or maintain their health. From their latest survey:

* 58% support lower cost sharing for patients who actively participate in a wellness program.
* 40% support lower cost sharing for patients who use treatments that have been scientifically proven to be effective for their medical condition.
* 34% support lower cost sharing for patients who choose high-performing health care providers. * 47% support lower cost sharing for patients who choose less invasive procedures to treat their medical conditions.

Not surprisingly, people who rate their health status as excellent or very good are more supportive of lowered cost sharing than those in not as good health, and opbese individuals and smokers in particular are less likely to support lowered cost sharing for engaged patients.