Disparity in the use of smoking cessation pharmacotherapy among Medicaid and general population smokers.
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of smoking remains higher among the Medicaid population compared with the general population. To reduce this disparity, the majority of state Medicaid programs now provide coverage for smoking cessation pharmacotherapy. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess awareness of this benefit among Medicaid smokers and (2) compare the use of pharmacotherapy among a sample of Medicaid smokers with smokers in the general population of western New York.


METHODS
This report summarizes findings from two cross-sectional studies conducted in western New York State during 2002 to 2003: (1) Medicaid smokers (n = 1,174) completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire in the Office of Medicaid Management and (2) smokers from the general population (n = 852) completed a telephone survey.


RESULTS
The majority of Medicaid smokers (54%) remain unaware of the program benefit providing coverage for smoking cessation pharmacotherapies. Medicaid smokers were much less likely (odds ratio = 0.33, 95% confidence interval = 0.25-0.44) than the general population to report having ever used pharmacotherapies.


CONCLUSIONS
Highlighting the availability of the smoking cessation pharmacotherapy benefit to Medicaid program participants may be one strategy to enhance quit attempts among this population. Future research should identify other potential barriers to the use of effective pharmacotherapies among poorer smokers.
Murphy
Jill M
JM
Department of Health, State University of New York-College at Cortland, 101 Moffett Center, PO Box 2000, Cortland, NY 13045, USA. murphy@cortland.edu
Mahoney
Martin C
MC
Hyland
Andrew J
AJ
Higbee
Cheryl
C
Cummings
K Michael
KM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000458:organization & administration; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires