A tobacco cessation program is a standard option for many health plans, but now more than ever, standard is often not enough.
While the overall prevalence of smoking among U.S. adults has been declining, large disparities in tobacco use continue across groups defined by race, educational level, and socioeconomic status.
Cost Controls Going Up in Smoke?
As tobacco use continues, the costs continue to soar as well. The estimated annual smoking-attributable direct medical spending is nearly $170 million, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s the equivalent of buying 850,000 houses at $200,000 each.
A national analysis of healthcare expenditures associated with smoking estimates that a 10% decline in smoking in the U.S. would offer significant reduction in total national healthcare costs—by an estimated $63 billion just a year later.
That’s because smoking has been found to cause a range of illnesses, including diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, and complications with pregnancy.
Finding the Right Cessation Program—What Works
Whether your health plan focuses on employers, Medicaid populations, or other groups, offering a tobacco cessation program that members will use is a must.
Large employer groups want best-in-class solutions, not a check-the-box program, for their employees, while Medicaid members require a solution that understands their needs and makes access easy wherever they are.
Fortunately, there’s a cheat sheet.
Download our Health Plan Buyer’s Guide, with tips on how to select a quit-smoking and quit-vaping program for your population.
You’ll learn what questions to ask as you evaluate different programs, and why those questions are important not just now, but into the future. From reporting to quit rates, you’ll get the insights you need to understand the nuances and benefits of each program.
If you’d like to inspire more tobacco-free lives with a new approach, EX Program is the only quit-tobacco program that combines Truth Initiative’s scientific leadership in digital tobacco solutions with a proven treatment model from Mayo Clinic.
Visit Contact Us today to see a demo or start a conversation about how EX Program compares to other cessation programs on the market today.
