Cessation

Interventions that increase quitting can decrease premature mortality and tobacco-related health care costs in the short-term. Quitting by age 30 eliminates nearly all excess risk associated with smoking, and smokers who quit smoking before age 50 cut in half their risk of dying in the next 15 years. Furthermore, tobacco cessation programs are more cost-effective than other commonly provided clinical preventive services, including screenings for breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, and treatments for mild to moderate hypertension and high cholesterol.

Although quitting smoking has immediate as well as long-term benefits, tobacco use is addictive. More than 40% of smokers try to quit each year, but without assistance, most will relapse. To increase tobacco use cessation, the independent Task Force on Community Preventive Services’ Guide to Community Preventive Services strongly recommends:

  • Increasing the unit price of tobacco products
  • Conducting mass media education campaigns combined with other community interventions
  • Providing telephone-based cessation counseling
  • Reducing out-of-pocket costs for patients
  • Implementing health care provider reminder systems (alone or combined with provider education)

Connecticut Smoking Cessation & Medicaid

The CT state legislature authorized the Department of Social Services to provide a Medicaid benefit for smoking cessation in 2002, but did not provide funding for the benefit until 2011. Effective October 1, 2010, federal legislation required all states to provide comprehensive tobacco cessation services for pregnant women. Effective January 1, 2012 this same benefit will be available to all Medicaid clients.

A Breath of Fresh Air! Why Now is the Time to Help Connecticut Residents Quit Smoking

On February 17 MATCH brought together health care providers, lawmakers, consumers and advocates in a forum to focus on the steps we must take to provide comprehensive tobacco use cessation services for all Medicaid clients and Connecticut residents.

This half day forum featured Steve Shestakofsky, former Director of State Legislation for the Massachusetts Medical Society and advocate for Tobacco Free Mass. Since Massachusetts introduced a comprehensive smoking cessation program 2 1/2 years ago for Medicaid patients, 75,000 people have used the program. The smoking rate dropped by 26 percent in this population and new data reveal a 46 percent drop in heart attacks in this group.

Attendees were welcomed by  Pat Checko, Chair, MATCH Coalition, Joni Czajkowski, Senior Director, Government Relations, American Heart Association the new state Comptroller, Kevin Lembo, and panelists, including, Dr. Judith Cooney, Director, Substance Abuse Day Program and  Tobacco Control Program, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Jeannette B. DeJesús, MPA, MSW, Special Advisor to the Governor on Healthcare Reform and Deputy Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Health, Eina G. Fishman, MD, MS, CPE , Medical Director, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Joe Aresimowicz, State Representative (D-Berlin, Southington) helped to illustrate the need for cessation treatment to be covered by Medicaid.

The day before the forum, Connecticut's new Governor, Dannel P. Malloy announced his support for Medicaid Cessation Coverage in his budget proposal which was adopted by the General Assembly in the 2011 session.

 

Below are the documents provided at the forum: