Some smokers in Nebraska will soon have another reason to quit: The government will pay for their efforts.
NATE JENKINS / The Associated Press | Posted: Friday, October 24, 2008 7:00 pm
Some smokers in Nebraska will soon have another reason to quit: The government will pay for their efforts.
Beginning in December and for the first time in the state, Medicaid will cover costs of drugs and counseling for Medicaid recipients who want to quit smoking.
Nebraska is one of just seven states where Medicaid does not cover smoking cessation costs, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
State lawmakers set aside money for Medicaid to cover such programs, hoping that would save money in the long run because Medicaid recipients would have fewer smoking-related health problems.
Asked whether she thought the additional coverage would eventually save money, state Medicaid Director Vivianne Chaumont said: “I think it’s a possibility.’’
Chaumont said she wasn’t aware of any studies that show whether Medicaid coverage of smoking cessation reduces overall costs.
A national survey of leading employers released last month indicates more companies are trying to slow rising health costs by paying for such things as smoking cessation and by subsidizing gym memberships. The companies are also helping workers better manage diabetes and other chronic conditions so that they can avoid hospitalizations and other expensive treatments.
According to the survey by Towers Perrin, a firm that specializes in improving company performance, more companies are holding rising health care costs below general inflation, a rarity just a few years ago.
Nebraska officials have been trying to slow the rapid growth of Medicaid.
Three years ago, state officials estimated that if Medicaid growth were left unchecked, by 2025 there would be a $785 million gap between money needed for the program and what was available. With changes to the program and lighter caseloads, the projected gap has been pared to $368 million.
But a recent Medicaid report still says that the “Medicaid program in Nebraska, as it is currently structured, is not fiscally sustainable.’’
The Legislature put an additional $600,000 in Medicaid to cover smoking cessation from December through the end of June, which is the end of the state’s fiscal year. Because the program is now cemented in the budget, similar, future spending on smoking cessation is likely.
State officials estimate that about 3,130 Nebraskans will take advantage of the new Medicaid coverage from December through the end of June.
Their chances to quit with help from Medicaid won’t be limitless.
During the course of a year, Medicaid will cover two attempts by a person to quit smoking, allowing a maximum of two, 90-day supplies of drugs. A maximum of four counseling sessions per year will be covered, and patients must enroll and participate in the state’s Tobacco Free Quitline.
Hypnosis and other alternative treatments will not be covered.