State News

Written by Steven Keith   

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed a new law last month that requires private insurance companies to offer coverage that would pay for the costs needed to help a person quit smoking.
SB0673 requires private insurance companies to offer optional tobacco use cessation service coverage or reimbursement for up to $500 annually for a person enrolled in a plan who is 18 years of age or older, starting Jan. 1, 2012.
Kathy Drea, vice president of public policy and advocacy at the American Lung Association in Illinois described the law as “just another ‘tool in the toolbox’ to help smokers quit.”
“Smokers often find it difficult to pay for costly items like the patches or gum,” said Drea. “This new law will help smokers pay for the tools to help them quit.”
According to Drea, the law will benefit all state residents, not just those who smoke.
“Every time a smoker quits, it benefits all of us as individuals and it also benefits the State of Illinois,” said Drea. “We ALL pay for smokers’ costs —whether we smoke or not.
“The average household state and federal tax burden from smoking-caused government expenditures is $665/year. The annual health care costs in Illinois directly caused by smoking is $4.10 billion and the annual smoking-caused productivity losses in Illinois are $4.35 billion.”
Medicaid as well as state employee health insurance companies, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois, offered tobacco cessation services, prior to the enactment of SB0673.
“We already offer wonderful comprehensive programming to help people quit all types of tobacco,” said Mary Ann Schultz, senior manager of the public affairs department at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield off Illinois offers biannual webinars that help people quit smoking and stay smoke-free; counseling services with registered nurses and guests for smokers; coverage for medications that physicians might prescribe for those who want to quit smoking; and several other services, programs and activities.
Most private insurance companies approved of the law, said Drea.
“We talked to some of the insurance companies when we were working on this bill,” said Drea. “They know that it is beneficial to them to help a smoker quit now rather than pay for their lung cancer, heart attack, stroke, etc. later.”
According to Drea, the premiums private insurance companies charge for tobacco use cessation service coverage will be inexpensive.
“The insurance companies have told us the premium would be minimal,” said Drea.
Seven U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved smoking cessation products will be covered by this law, including generic brands of nicotine patches, nicotine gum and nicotine lozenges. Nicotrol-brand nasal spray and oral inhaler will also be covered, along with non-nicotine products, Chantix and Zyban.
Chantix is a drug that acts at sites in the brain affected by nicotine, easing withdrawal symptoms and blocking the effects of nicotine from cigarettes, if users resume smoking. Zyban is also a drug that helps smokers abstain from smoking.
In Illinois, for every dollar spent on smoking cessation services, $1.29 is returned in increased productivity and reduced health care expenditures.
Every year, 443,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses and secondhand smoke exposure, making tobacco the leading cause of preventable death.