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Rogue Thoughts on Toppling the Current Payment System

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA, CMP™

[ME-P Editor-in-Chief]

Recently, I reviewed a copy of “Predictably Irrational” by fellow blogger Dan Ariely, PhD. Dan is the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University and a founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight.

In the book, he examines some of the positive effects that irrationality has in our lives and offers a new look on how irrational decisions might influence our personal lives and our workplace experiences. I found the chapter on social-norms v. market-norms particularly interesting and wondered about its’ applicability to healthcare economics and reimbursement.

Example:

Dan sites the example of various fund raising charitable goods that had been set at market prices [the norm in this country – little retail negotiating takes place in the USA], but that he recently chose to experiment and make them donation-based instead. 

The Difference

What a difference it made! He cites the case of one woman who bought a cupcake and reached for a dollar bill when asked about the price.  When told there was no set price, but donations-only were accepted, she put the one bill back in her wallet and pulled out a ten-spot. 

References and Research

• www.danariely.com
• http://danariely.com/the-research
• http://web.mit.edu/ariely/www/MIT/papers.shtml

Assessment

So, please allow me to use this trivial example and suggest a limited switch experiment to social-norms – instead of market-norms in some cases of healthcare reimbursement – perhaps starting with non-surgical, non-specialty, primary care providers [GPs, internists, FPs, DNPs, podiatrists, etc], or any “willing provider” for that matter. What do you think would happen?

Conclusion

And so, your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Is this idea too far out – or thought provoking enough for further consideration? Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

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Filed under: "Doctors Only", Career Development, Health Economics, Healthcare Finance, Op-Editorials, Practice Management, Research & Development | Tagged: Dan Ariely, Predictably Irrational, www.danariely.com | 1 Comment »