Cash Plan For Health?
The NHS this week admitted they are considering a cash plan style option of financial incentives to encourage a healthier style of life for UK citizens. Some areas have undertaken their own schemes and they report that the results have given some encouragement.
NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) advises the NHS in England and Wales. They suggest these measures may be able to help the NHS to combat issues such as obesity, smoking and drinking. They wish to gather additional evidence into the cash plan incentive for lifestyle changes, an idea described as “an idea whose time has come” before submitting their recommendations.
This is not the first time that NICE has considered cash incentives; previously they have backed rewards to encourage people off drugs. NICE are hoping to gauge public reaction into the proposals by putting the concept in front of its citizen’s council on Thursday and Friday (20th & 21st May 2010).
To help gauge the general public’s reaction into their proposals NICE are planning to submit the concept before its citizen’s council on Thursday and Friday (20th & 21st May 2010).
Head of public health for NICE, Professor Mike Kelly says; “We will want to see evidence that it provides value for money, there is a question over whether behavior is sustained when incentives end. Humans respond to incentives, we know that. What we now need to see is whether the economic behavior can be repeated in terms of health behavior. It is an idea whose time has come.”
Upon NICE backing a cash plan style scheme, recommendations for the plan covering England and Wales are still around a year away at least.
Nice are working closely with a team of London-based experts from the London School of Economics, Queen Mary University and King’s College who are carrying out research into the issue alongside NICE. They are reviewing international evidence on cash plan incentives and are planning to carry out trials in the near future.
Now is the time to take advantage of a cash plan as it means you will always have help with the cost of remaining healthy. A health cash plan is a good idea if you require basic cover for day to day health care.
