Incentivizing Healthy Behaviors in Low-Income Patient Populations

Incentivizing Healthy Behaviors in Low-Income Patient Populations.

From the 24 October 2013 blog item at Leavitt Partners

What works and 8 lessons other health care organizations learn

Data suggests costs can be better contained if all people are practicing healthy life behaviors.[i] State and Federal leaders, charged with holding down costs without sacrificing access to or quality of care, agree with this principal—and as a health insurance payer with one of the longest histories of serving low-income individuals, state Medicaid programs have explored many approaches to incentivizing positive health-related behaviors in its patient populations.

On January 1 2014, about half of the states will expand their Medicaid programs to newly eligible individuals with income below 133% FPL. Insurance subsidies will also be provided to individuals with income between 100% and 400% FPL, increasing access to commercial insurance to those with low- to moderate-incomes. As health care organizations begin managing the health and wellbeing of these newly insured groups, many will be looking for ways to control long-term costs by incentivizing healthy changes in behaviors.

In order to better understand which approaches are the most effective, Leavitt Partners analyzed case studies and program outcomes to answer the following questions:

What are the most effective approaches to motivate low-income adults to make positive changes in their behavior (for themselves and children)?

What are the most effective approaches to motivate low-i

– See more at: http://leavittpartners.com/2013/10/incentivizing-healthy-behaviors-low-income-patient-populations/#sthash.DyBTYRJG.dpuf

 

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