Coverage of smoking cessation treatment by union health and welfare funds.
OBJECTIVE
This study determined the level of insurance coverage for smoking cessation treatment and factors associated with coverage among health and welfare funds affiliated with a large labor union.


METHODS
A self-administered written survey was mailed to fund and union officials. Analyses were conducted by chi2 tests.


RESULTS
Twenty-nine percent of funds provided coverage for some type of smoking cessation treatment, with the odds of coverage significantly increased among funds whose administrators reported having received members' requests for smoking cessation treatment in the past year (odds ratio = 4.9, P = .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Coverage for smoking cessation services is low, comparable to coverage offered by other health insurers. Interventions with union members and fund officials are needed to provide union members with access to affordable and effective smoking cessation treatments.
Barbeau
E M
EM
Department of Adult Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston MA 02115, USA. elizabeth_barbeau@dfci.harvard.edu
Li
Y I
YI
Sorensen
G
G
Conlan
K M
KM
Youngstrom
R
R
Emmons
K
K
D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000191:economics*; D007750:Labor Unions; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012946:Social Welfare; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology