title: Which preferred providers are really preferred? Effectiveness of insurers' channeling incentives on pharmacy choice.
abstract: Efficient contracting of health care requires effective consumer channeling. Little is known about the effectiveness of channeling strategies. We study channeling incentives on pharmacy choice using a large scale discrete choice experiment. Financial incentives prove to be effective. Positive financial incentives are less effective than negative financial incentives. Channeling through qualitative incentives also leads to a significant impact on provider choice. While incentives help to channel, a strong status quo bias needs to be overcome before consumers change pharmacies. Focusing on consumers who are forced to choose a new pharmacy seems to be the most effective strategy.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. boonen@bmg.eur.nl
authors.forename: Lieke H H M
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Boonen
authors.forename: Frederik T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Schut
authors.forename: Bas
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Donkers
authors.forename: Xander
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Koolman
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007343:Insurance Carriers / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017059:Models, Econometric; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010594:Pharmacies / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011243:Preferred Provider Organizations / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires