Financial Incentives for Care Gaps
| Status: | Enrolling by invitation |
|---|---|
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 21 - Any |
| Updated: | 10/25/2018 |
| Start Date: | August 31, 2018 |
| End Date: | December 2020 |
Financial Incentives for Care Gaps: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This project seeks to understand how individuals respond to financial incentive programs for
wellness care. In a randomized controlled trial among customers with care gaps, the
investigators will experimentally compare the impacts of incentives for gap closure (gift
cards), information on existing gaps (mailers), and no intervention. The research objectives
are to assess how responsive individuals are to incentives for, and to information about,
existing care gaps; and to assess spillovers from incentives onto other care. In addition,
impacts on downstream utilization will be studied, which may be impacted if financial
incentives are effective at increasing wellness visits.
wellness care. In a randomized controlled trial among customers with care gaps, the
investigators will experimentally compare the impacts of incentives for gap closure (gift
cards), information on existing gaps (mailers), and no intervention. The research objectives
are to assess how responsive individuals are to incentives for, and to information about,
existing care gaps; and to assess spillovers from incentives onto other care. In addition,
impacts on downstream utilization will be studied, which may be impacted if financial
incentives are effective at increasing wellness visits.
Setting and sample:
The study will be conducted among individuals enrolled in an insurance plan offered by an
insurance company in the state of Nebraska.
The sample will include a subset of individuals eligible for a program designed to improve
delivery of care by incentivizing individuals and their dependents to fill "care gaps" - gaps
in recommended care.
Interventions:
The design will entail two overarching interventions for each incentivized care gap:
Incentives, and Information Only. In addition, there will be a control that receives neither.
- Incentives. Individuals receiving the Incentives intervention for a given care gap will
receive a mailer informing them of that gap, and that they are eligible for a gift card
if they close that care gap.
- Information Only. Individuals receiving the Information Only intervention for a given
care gap will receive a mailer informing them of that gap, but without information on
the incentives available.
- Control. Individuals receiving the Control intervention for a given care gap will not
receive a mailer.
All individuals will be made whole following the intervention period, regardless of treatment
status; i.e. members will be compensated for closing incentivized care gaps regardless of
whether they were informed of their eligibility to do so.
The specific Incentivized Care Gaps include: W34, LSC, IMA, CDC Eye Exam and/or CDC Hba1c
Screening, CCS, and AWC.
Randomization:
A separate letter is sent for each care gap, so that individuals may receive more than one
letter. The investigators will randomize which letters are sent.
The process will be as follows: every individual with a care gap in the sample (a care-gap,
beneficiary pair) will be randomly assigned a study status: financial incentive, information
only, or no letter. When it comes time to send mailers for each care gap, mailers will be
sent according to the intersection of eligibility and care gap-specific treatment assignment.
E.g. if at mailing time a participant is eligible for only cervical cancer screening (CCS),
that participant will receive the CCS intervention (Control, Information Only, or Incentives)
as pre-assigned. If the participant is also eligible for an adolescent well-visit (AWC)
incentive based on her dependent's age and visit status, the participant will also receive
the AWC intervention as pre-assigned; this intervention may be the same or different from her
CCS intervention.
Analysis:
The investigators will compare the number and rate of care-gap closure at 6 and 18 months
following the initial mailing. The investigators will also conduct heterogeneity analysis
according to baseline characteristics of the population.
The study will be conducted among individuals enrolled in an insurance plan offered by an
insurance company in the state of Nebraska.
The sample will include a subset of individuals eligible for a program designed to improve
delivery of care by incentivizing individuals and their dependents to fill "care gaps" - gaps
in recommended care.
Interventions:
The design will entail two overarching interventions for each incentivized care gap:
Incentives, and Information Only. In addition, there will be a control that receives neither.
- Incentives. Individuals receiving the Incentives intervention for a given care gap will
receive a mailer informing them of that gap, and that they are eligible for a gift card
if they close that care gap.
- Information Only. Individuals receiving the Information Only intervention for a given
care gap will receive a mailer informing them of that gap, but without information on
the incentives available.
- Control. Individuals receiving the Control intervention for a given care gap will not
receive a mailer.
All individuals will be made whole following the intervention period, regardless of treatment
status; i.e. members will be compensated for closing incentivized care gaps regardless of
whether they were informed of their eligibility to do so.
The specific Incentivized Care Gaps include: W34, LSC, IMA, CDC Eye Exam and/or CDC Hba1c
Screening, CCS, and AWC.
Randomization:
A separate letter is sent for each care gap, so that individuals may receive more than one
letter. The investigators will randomize which letters are sent.
The process will be as follows: every individual with a care gap in the sample (a care-gap,
beneficiary pair) will be randomly assigned a study status: financial incentive, information
only, or no letter. When it comes time to send mailers for each care gap, mailers will be
sent according to the intersection of eligibility and care gap-specific treatment assignment.
E.g. if at mailing time a participant is eligible for only cervical cancer screening (CCS),
that participant will receive the CCS intervention (Control, Information Only, or Incentives)
as pre-assigned. If the participant is also eligible for an adolescent well-visit (AWC)
incentive based on her dependent's age and visit status, the participant will also receive
the AWC intervention as pre-assigned; this intervention may be the same or different from her
CCS intervention.
Analysis:
The investigators will compare the number and rate of care-gap closure at 6 and 18 months
following the initial mailing. The investigators will also conduct heterogeneity analysis
according to baseline characteristics of the population.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Is a partner organization member in the region of study
- Has a care gap in one of the six target areas
Exclusion Criteria:
- Participating in another select high-intensity wellness intervention provided by the
partner organization
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