Note: Medicaid Covers Smoking Cessation Counseling to ALL Medicaid Beneficiaries
Effective April 1, 2011, Medicaid expanded coverage of smoking cessation counseling (SCC) to ALL Medicaid beneficiaries. Each Medicaid beneficiary will be allowed six counseling sessions during any 12 continuous months which must be provided on a face-to-face basis. Smoking cessation counseling complements the use of prescription and non-prescription smoking cessation products. These products are also covered by Medicaid. For more information including billing codes and additional resources please view pages 10 and 11 of the April 2011 Medicaid Update.
Bronx BREATHES was established to work with health care organizations and primary care providers to implement systems to screen patients for tobacco use and prompt providers to offer their patients advice and assistance to quit.
These free services include:
- On-site staff training (individual or group) on topics including:
- How to talk to patients about quitting smoking
- Effective motivational counseling techniques
- How to improve office practices to promote patient cessation success
- Pharmacotherapy treatments for tobacco dependence
- Patient education materials on a variety of topics related to smoking cessation
- Information on local cessation programs and referrals to additional patient resources, including the New York State Smokers' Quitline
- Assistance using the Fax-to-Quit program
- Free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (depending on availability)
To request free services or materials, contact Shaniyya Pinckney at Bronx BREATHES
For downloadable materials, such as Fax-To-Quit forms or PHSG Guidelines on Tobacco Use and Dependence, please visit our download page