Insurance coverage of smoking cessation treatment for state employees.
Public health experts recommend that health insurance include coverage for smoking cessation treatment as an evidence-based strategy to reduce smoking. As employers, states can implement this policy for more than 5 million individuals nationwide. This study identified the extent to which states require smoking cessation treatment insurance coverage for their employees; of 45 states, 29 required coverage for at least 1 US Public Health Service (PHS)-recommended treatment, and only 17 of 45 provided coverage that was fully consistent with PHS recommendations.
Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention, Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin Medical School, 1930 Monroe St, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53711, USA. meburns@ctri.medicine.wisc.edu
Marguerite E
ME
Burns
Timothy W
TW
Bosworth
Michael C
MC
Fiore
D003376:Counseling / Q000191:economics; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000191:economics; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014492:United States Public Health Service
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs