Previous research on providing incentives for healthy behaviors has shown that financial incentives can increase treatment participation and boost outcomes when they are tied to participation in evidence based treatments. However, most of this research has been done in laboratory settings and in relatively small clinical trials. This study is designed to test the hypotheses that incentives can increase both participation in smoking cessation treatment and resulting cessation rates, when they are offered to Wisconsin BadgerCare Plus (Medicaid) smokers as part of their health care. If successful, this treatment approach could be used more broadly to reduce the considerable financial and personal costs associated with smoking-related disease.~In this study, Medicaid-eligible smokers were recruited from primary care clinics and from callers to the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL) with randomization a Control condition and an Incentive condition. All participants were offered five cessation calls from the WTQL and participants were encouraged by WTQL coaches to obtain cessation medication from their primary care providers. All participants received payment for completing a baseline assessment ($40) and a 6-month smoking test ($40). Only Incentive condition participants received additional compensation for taking counseling calls ($30 per completed call) and for biochemically-verified abstinence at the 6-month visit ($40).
The study is designed to test the hypotheses that financial incentives can increase both participation in smoking cessation treatment and resulting cessation rates, when they are offered to BadgerCare Plus (Medicaid) smokers as part of their health care.