CMS Announces Medicaid Tobacco Cessation Coverage Changes

The Obama Administration took critical steps on June 24, 2011 to help smokers quit by announcing expanded Medicaid coverage of tobacco cessation services, including comprehensive cessation coverage for pregnant women and funding for telephone quitlines.

The expanded Medicaid coverage has been explained in letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which was sent to all state Medicaid directors. The letter reminds states that state Medicaid programs now must fully cover, without cost-sharing, tobacco cessation services for pregnant women, both counseling and medications, as a result of the Affordable Care Act. It also lays out multiple ways that states can provide pharmacotherapy and counseling to non-pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries. CMS will regard tobacco quitlines that follow evidence-based protocols as an allowable Medicaid administrative activity which can be claimed at the 50% match rate. CMS is encouraging states to actively promote the availability of these benefits.

Read the full letter on the CMS website.