Florida Medicaid Healthy Behaviors Incentive Program Has Low Participation, Many Unaware of Program, Study Finds

Tax dollars being wasted.

"Many Florida Medicaid beneficiaries who are eligible for a pilot program that rewards them for healthy behaviors are not participating, according to a study released on Thursday by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, the Florida Times-Union reports. Under the Enhanced Benefits Account Program, Medicaid beneficiaries in several Florida counties -- Baker, Broward, Clay, Duval and Nassau -- are eligible to receive up to $125 in credits per year for having healthy behaviors. Credits range from $7.50 for following a medication regimen to $25 for a pap test or a child physician's office visit for preventive care. According to the study, beneficiaries have claimed just 10% of the $12.5 million in credits they have earned in the program. Researchers also found that 75% of physicians were unaware of the program."

How insane is that?

Paying people to do what they should be doing to take care of themselves anyway.

Where is my reward? Or yours if you care for yourself and your children? How come social responsibility is not rewarded or, in effect, punished?

You have to be a friggin' idiot to conceive of a program like this, let alone implement it.

"Georgetown University Health Policy Institute researcher Joan Alker said, "I think the program has a laudable goal, but that's a really tough outcome to achieve. There's a question whether this approach will actually work to change people's behavior" (Turner, Florida Times-Union, 7/25)."

Then again, it is the government.

Duh.