Examining a health insurance plan that rewards patients for choosing lower-cost clinics.
Analysis of a Tiered Clinic Cost-sharing Health Insurance Benefit Design
This study is looking at how a special health insurance plan can help state employees and their families choose better and more affordable healthcare providers, with the hope that this will lead to improved health and lower costs for everyone.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10889071 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates a health insurance benefit design that encourages patients to select higher-quality, lower-cost healthcare providers. By analyzing the Minnesota Advantage health plan, which covers state employees and their families, the study aims to understand how tiered cost-sharing influences patient choices and healthcare outcomes. Patients will receive information about clinic performance and financial incentives to choose more efficient providers, potentially leading to better health outcomes at reduced costs. The research will assess the effectiveness of this model in improving healthcare efficiency across diverse geographic areas.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are state employees and their dependents enrolled in the Minnesota Advantage health plan.
Not a fit: Patients who are not enrolled in the Minnesota Advantage health plan or those who do not have access to tiered cost-sharing health insurance may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved healthcare efficiency and better health outcomes for patients by incentivizing the use of high-quality, lower-cost providers.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that tiered cost-sharing models can improve patient choices and healthcare outcomes, suggesting that this approach has potential for success.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dowd, Bryan Edwin — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Dowd, Bryan Edwin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.