Aligning Incentives, Information, and Choice

Why would someone intentionally gain forty pounds in four months? Why are over thirty percent of doctor visits for reasons that the American Medical Association recommends against? Why would the size of someone's bonus pay affect his or her interest in health? Incentives, that's why. Incentives are imbedded into the rules and structures of our social systems, businesses, communities, and healthcare programs. Similar to the force of gravity, incentives pull behaviors in a particular direction. Maybe you don't pay attention to incentives now-after reading this, we think you will.