Paula Bennett pockets about $3,000 a year from her employer mainly for driving around 80 miles roundtrip for a deal on doses of her Crohn’s disease treatment Remicade.
The extra income comes through SmartShopper, a program offered by some employers to provide cash to workers who choose quality health care options with lower prices.
“I absolutely love the program,” said Bennett, 43, a fiscal specialist with New Hampshire’s Division for Children, Youth and Families.
SmartShopper represents a twist in how corporate America is dealing with rising health care expenses. It’s part of a push by employers to heap more responsibility for costs onto the people who are covered by their health care plans.
Companies for years have raised deductibles, or the amount employees pay before most of their coverage begins. They’ve also given workers online tools to help them shop for the best deals on things like imaging exams and bloodwork. Now, some are using cash to nudge employees toward those deals.