Scholarly articles that test behaviors in the real world are fascinating and of potential value if their findings are acted or, or studied further.

This article sites such a study where the impact of co-pays on compliance and on the general issue of compliance when the symptoms of a significant disease are silent or delayed.

We are of mixed mind in considering the implications of social engineering on people’s behavior. On the one hand, adults should take responsibility for doing the right thing, or pay the price when they don’t. On the other hand, paying the price in real terms with respect to poor health decisions, often means that society at large, as well as innocent family members, pay the price of individual ignorance and/or stupidity.

The larger point in this article is that incentives and skin in the game matter with respect to both taking appropriate health measures, as well as avoidance of waste in terms of treatment or diagnostics.