What was introduced to encourage individuals to find cost-effective health care options?

The correct answer is consumer-driven health plans. These plans were created to provide participants with increased control over their health care spending and encourage them to shop for more cost-effective options. By having higher deductibles and personal health accounts, individuals become more engaged in decision-making regarding their health care, prompting them to consider the cost and value of the services they choose. This model aims to promote the idea of consumers actively researching and selecting care based on both quality and expense, fostering a more cost-conscious healthcare environment.

The other options relate to various aspects of health care delivery and payment reform but do not specifically focus on encouraging individual cost-conscious behavior in the same way. The resource-based relative value scale system pertains to the valuation of medical services for reimbursement purposes, group medical practice refers to collaboration among providers to deliver care, and Medicare Contracting Reform involves the processes associated with how Medicare manages its operations and payments, but none specifically promotes consumer empowerment and cost-effectiveness quite like consumer-driven health plans do.