smoking

Here at Matthews Internal Medicine, we do our best to help our patients when they get sick. We also do our best to make sure they can avoid certain diseases or conditions in the first place. Our focus is on preventative medicine. We help you change behaviors and live a healthier lifestyle. One way we do that is by helping patients with their smoking cessation efforts.

Entering a smoking cessation program means that you’re quitting smoking. This bad habit can cause so many health issues, from cancer to heart disease, so quitting is one of the best decisions that you can make for your future health. It can be an investment of some serious time and money though. There are many products that can help you quit smoking, but you’re probably wondering if they’re covered by your insurance. Here’s a look at how some insurance providers treat smoking cessation efforts and help cover the cost of this journey.

Medicare

Medicare will actually help cover two counseling attempts per year. That means that eight sessions of smoking cessation counseling can be covered every twelve months. How much you end up paying can depend on a few factors. One of the main ones is whether or not you have an illness that is caused by or made worse by smoking. If you don’t have this kind of health problem already, smoking cessation is considered a preventative service.

That being said, many over-the-counter treatments for nicotine addiction are not covered. The patches or gum you commonly think of when you think of quitting smoking would not be covered. Prescription drugs that could help you quit would be covered though.

Medicaid

This insurance for low-income or disabled Americans also covers some aspects of a smoking cessation program. You’ll find coverage for counseling sessions, which could mean individual or group settings. 90 days of FDA-approved smoking cessation medications are covered and two quit attempts per year will be covered as well. There’s still no coverage for OTC options that can help you quit though.

Employer-Sponsored and Other Private Insurance Plans

Private healthcare plans can vary on what they cover, but recent regulations ensure that all plans need to cover some form of tobacco cessation efforts. FDA-approved prescription medications, counseling, and two quit attempts per year are often covered. Some plans will also credit you for drugs and remedies you buy that can be sold over the counter, but this is rare. Other providers won’t just credit you, but they’ll cover them as a part of an incentive program to get you to quit smoking. Some plans also limit how much you can spend on smoking cessation efforts as long as you’re a member on their plan.

The easiest way to find out how your plan works with smoking cessation products is by asking your employer or insurance company. Remember that, at the very least, services like counseling and prescription drugs are likely covered by your plan. We can help you with your smoking cessation efforts even if you don’t have a Cadillac health plan.