Would You Rather Walk 5,000 Steps a Day or Pay More for Insurance?

That may sound like a hypothetical question, but one health insurer put this question to the test -- and a new study finds that the controversial question -- and resulting action taken -- actually worked to keep costs down and customers healthier.

It all started when the Michigan-based Blue Care Network began requiring obese patients on certain insurance plans to enroll in physical fitness programs in order or have to pay higher rates. One option was a pedometer-based program, which required participants to walk 450,000 steps every three months (an average of 5,000 steps, or 2.5 miles, a day) and to upload their activity to a tracking website. Those who didn't meet the quarterly goals would be 20 percent more for their insurance. 

University of Michigan and Stanford University researchers tracked the more than 6,000 people who chose the pedometer option, about a third of whom strongly disagreed with the "coercive" nature of the program and were extremely reluctant to participate. The researchers' findings, however, published today in the journal Translational Behavioral Medicine, tell a different story: After one year, 97 percent of participants had met their daily activity goals! 

However, there is still not nearly enough research to determine whether participation in these programs translates to meaningful changes in health and costs of health care.

What do you think about cash incentives for staying active? Smart or sleazy? Tweet us at @amandaemac and @SELFmagazine.

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Image Credit: Plamen Petkov

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