Advocates of consumer driven healthcare plans (CDHPs) are pointing to a wellness program at a South African company as a potential model for the U.S. The program uses an intricate point system to reward plan members for taking good care of themselves, sweetening the pot with discounts on travel, hotel stays and electronics. Plan members can rack up points by going to the gym regularly (with points accruing with each visit), participating in smoking cessation programs, or maintaining their ideal weight. Rewards mount as points accrue, with people who score the most receiving the most generous payouts. Critics say the sharply-fragmented South African healthcare industry is probably not a good model for the U.S., pointing out that only 7 million people out of a population of 45 million are in private plans. In the US, few high-deductible plans offer similar rewards programs.
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