State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco-Dependence Treatments—United States, 2006

February 8, 2008 / Vol. 57 / No. 5

MMWR Introduction

According to the article, "State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco-Dependence Treatments—United States, 2006" released in the February 8, 2008, issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, despite high smoking prevalence (35%) among recipients, high economic burden, and the availability of evidence-based and cost-effective treatments, eight state Medicaid programs did not cover any tobacco-dependence treatments, and only one program (Oregon) covered all recommended treatments in 2006. The article suggests that to achieve the 2010 national health objective of increasing insurance coverage of evidence-based treatments for tobacco dependence among all 51 state Medicaid programs, Medicaid coverage for smoking cessation must increase substantially.