Massachusetts state legislators recently hammered out a bill with the intention of curbing the state’s spiraling health-care costs. The measure creates a commission to consider overhauling the current medical-care payment system, and it provides economic incentives for more efficient care. Notably, the measure would authorize MassHealth to promote primary care because it costs less to keep people healthier than it does to treat then when they get sick. There are other provisions but this last one seems to have a kernel of a better bill: work for prevention.

How about this for a provision: the state pays you to stay healthy. The state will budge quite a few million for the program. (A figure was not mentioned.) Divide that figure by the population you get state per capita health costs. Now if you don’t use the system, why not get back, say, 50% of that per-capita figure? The idea is to reward people for staying healthy, certainly a worthy goal. Remember, it is only your money.