Table 1. Types of Consumer Financial Incentives

Consumer Financial Incentives: A Decision Guide for Purchasers

Goal of incentive	Decision timing	Health status	Examples
Select a high value health plan or provider network	During open enrollment	Distribution between the healthy and ill reflecting underlying enrollee population	Premium-tiered health plans.
Select a high value provider	Varies—usually at the point-of-care	Patient is usually ill or needing service	Point-of-care tiered health plans. High-deductible health plans with savings account options.
Select a high value treatment option	At the point-of-care	Usually when the patient becomes ill, sometimes before	Tiered drug benefits. High-deductible health plans with savings account options. Consumer incentives for disease management. Consumer incentives for preventive care.
Reduce health risks by seeking care	Ongoing	Varies—the patient has a high-risk condition	Consumer incentives to comply with recommended care (e.g., prenatal care).
Reduce health risk by changing lifestyle	Ongoing	Varies—the patient has a lifestyle factor that increases health risks	Consumer incentives to encourage certain health behaviors (e.g., smoking cessation, weight loss).

Page last reviewed October 2014

Internet Citation: Table 1. Types of Consumer Financial Incentives: Consumer Financial Incentives: A Decision Guide for Purchasers. October 2014. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://archive.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/quality-resources/value/incentives/incenttab1.html