Does insurance coverage for drug therapy affect smoking cessation? Journal Article uri icon
Overview
abstract
  • Whether insurance coverage for smoking-cessation medicines increases quitting rates is uncertain. In this paper we evaluate the overall effect of a new health plan pharmacy benefit on the use of pharmacotherapy, attempts to quit, and quitting rates. The presence of a smoking-cessation pharmacy benefit as implemented by these health plans produced no change in the use of bupropion, nicotine patches, or nicotine gum, nor did it result in higher rates of quitting smoking. Further studies are needed to test whether greater efforts to make smokers aware of insurance benefits or adding other types of cessation support might lead to any beneficial effects.

  • Link to Article
    publication date
  • 2002
  • published in
  • Health Affairs  Journal
  • Research
    keywords
  • *Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • *Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Plans
  • Bupropion/administration & dosage/*economics
  • Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors/administration & dosage/*economics
  • Drug Costs
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Maintenance Organizations
  • Health Services Research
  • Insurance Coverage
  • Minnesota/epidemiology
  • Nicotine/administration & dosage/*economics
  • Smoking Cessation/*economics/methods/statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Additional Document Info
    volume
  • 21
  • issue
  • 6