Wellness incentives, equity, and the 5 groups problem

H. Schmidt

American Journal of Public Health, 2012, vol. 102, issue 1, 49-54

Abstract: Wellness incentives are an increasingly popular means of encouraging participation in prevention programs, but they may not benefit all groups equally. To assist those planning, conducting, and evaluating incentive programs, I describe the impact of incentives on 5 groups: the "lucky ones," the "yes-I-can" group, the "I'lldo- it-tomorrow" group, the "unlucky ones," and the "leave-me-alone" group. The 5 groups problem concerns the question of when disparities in the capacity to use incentive programs constitute unfairness and how policymakers ought to respond. I outline 4 policy options: to continue to offer incentives universally, to offer them universally but with modifications, to offer targeted rather than universal programs, and to abandon incentive programs altogether.

Date: 2012
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2011.300348_5

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300348

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