Friday, November 16, 2007

Studies Predict Widespread Health Care Cheating Under Bush P4P Plans


Researchers found that do gooders frequently became the worst cheats. A new study shows how a sense of moral superiority can lead to unethical acts, such as cheating. This can be exacerbated by structural elements that encourage competition.

American stockholders suffered mightily from widespread executive cheating on stock options. Some 30% of publicly traded companies fudged the dates of the option grants to maximize their incentive compensation. The Bush administration wants to spread the toxin of incentive compensation to health care, a field rife with do gooders. The AP article stated:

A competitive playing field, whether at a university or business, can also motivate cheating behaviors. "Cheating is a way to get ahead in a competitive environment where there are rewards for winning or getting ahead of others," said Daniel Kruger, an evolutionary psychologist at the University of Michigan.

It's spreading like wildfire in education and coming to healthcare. Hold on to your hats because an ill wind is ready to spread through the land of do gooders.