Medicaid Will Cover Smoking Cessation Counseling

Utica, NY (WIBX) - There's some good news for people who want to quit smoking. The federal government announced that smoking cessation counseling will now be covered by Medicaid. Officials say the Medicaid program will cover six face-to-face counseling sessions for those looking to kick their smoking habit.

Aida Mariani, Communications Specialist at Faxton St. Lukes Healthcare says the move could potentially safe billions in Medicaid cost. "This is actually intended to safe money. Medicaid is going to pay-out more but in the long run, it's supposed to safe money. Over 50 percent of all smokers are actually covered by Medicaid, and that's a huge number--half of everyone who smokes, is on Medicaid," she said. Mariani added that a large number of smokers don't have health insurance.

She says, in the long run, the move could safe New York tax payers an estimated $8 billion every year--the annual cost of smoking related healthcare. Officials say since 2001, the number of New Yorkers who smoke has fallen nearly 22 percent--an indication that smoking cessation counseling works. Those looking to kick their smoking habit can take part in classes throughout the region. "Those classes are held monthly, usually it's once a week for 4 weeks depending on where you go. They're in Oneida-Madison or Herkimer Counties," Mariani said.  She says participants can choose from different types of counseling techniques to help them stop smoking.

For more information contact the Tri-County Quits Smoking Cessation Center at (315) 624-5639.