title: Making the case for medicaid funding of smoking cessation treatment programs: an application to state-level health care savings.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In spite of cost-saving tobacco-dependence treatments, many state Medicaid programs offer only limited coverage for these treatments. This report builds a case for state-level financial benefits from funding smoking cessation treatment for Medicaid-eligible populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Applying published cost estimates to state-specific data, we assessed potential health care savings from tobacco-dependence treatments for pregnant women, mothers exposing young children to secondhand smoke, and other adult Medicaid beneficiaries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across all three populations there was evidence for short-term positive returns on investment. Including counseling and nicotine replacement therapy, estimated net savings were $157,000 annually for pregnant women and their newborns, $33,000 annually within four years for children exposed to smoke at home, and $5 million annually within two years for the general adult Medicaid population in Alabama.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that making tobacco-dependence treatment freely available to low-income smokers can produce net savings for state governments within a short period of time.
authors.forename: Debra Moehle
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McCallum
authors.forename: Gabriel H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Fosson
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pisu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D017046:Cost Savings / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061889:Healthcare Financing; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000191:economics*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution