Low-income adults who are newly insured are more likely to make an initial visit to a primary care provider if they receive a small cash incentive, according to a study published in Health Affairs.
The randomized, controlled study first divided subjects into two groups: one control group and one survey group. The survey group received $10 to complete a baseline survey and was then split into three more groups, which were offered $50, $25 or $0 for visiting a PCP within six months.
Sixty-one percent of the control group, which was not contacted by surveyors or given any monetary compensation, visited providers within six months. Researchers found the rate of initial PCP appointments improved with incentives. Of the group that received $0 to visit a PCP but participated in the survey for $10, 68 percent visited their PCP. However, those who received a cash incentive were even more likely to visit their physician — 77 percent of participants who were offered $50 to visit a PCP did and 74 percent who were offered $25 did.
The study demonstrates small cash incentives among low-income adults newly enrolled in insurance could significantly improve primary care visits within the first six months of coverage. The authors note that previous studies have shown it can take up to two years to establish regular check-ups among patients who have not been insured before. Small cash incentives could ultimately help lower overall costs by getting more patients in the door at their PCP's office and avoiding preventable hospitalizations, which cost the U.S. $30 billion annually.
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