Many health plans don't offer full range of anti-smoking medication, report says

Many Americans who get their health insurance from the federally run marketplace could benefit from quitting smoking, but they don’t yet have access to everything that could help them give up cigarettes, according to a new report from the American Lung Association.

The ACA says that tobacco-cessation is an essential health benefit. Last year, several federal agencies issued a joint statement that said health plans are considered to be in compliance with federal law if they offer coverage, without co-pays, of screening and at least two cessation attempts per year.

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, who heads the Ohio Department of Insurance, issued a written statement saying that the criteria used in the Lung Association report (a FAQ document from the federal government) “simply provides an example” for compliance and leaves room for other options.

Amy Rohling McGee, president of HPIO, noted that co-pays are her greatest concern, because out-of-pocket costs mean barriers to quitting. McGee also emphasized the importance of making sure consumers and their doctors, and other caregivers, are well-educated about the options that are covered (and how they’re covered) by various companies. “Sometimes (consumers) could think there is a cost and there isn’t and it’s just sometimes very difficult to figure out.” (Source: “Many health plans don’t offer full range of anti-smoking medication, report says,” Columbus Dispatch, March 31, 2015)