Guest Column: Does Your Health Insurance Cover Help to Quit Smoking?
By Joan RubelNorthern Berkshire Tobacco-Free Community Partnership Print Story | Email Story
Seventy-seven percent of Massachusetts smokers say they want to quit, and people who want to quit are two to three times more likely to be successful if they use quit-smoking medications and behavioral counseling. However, most Massachusetts smokers do not have adequate health insurance coverage to help control the cost of these FDA-approved methods of quitting.
One bright spot in this picture is coverage for low-income and medium-income MassHealth insurance members. MassHealth offers FDA-approved quit-smoking medications, such as the patch, Chantix or Zyban, for a low $1 to $3 co-pay. Face-to-face and group counseling are also covered. And, best yet, MassHealth understands that it may take a number of attempts to quit for good. Coverage is provided for a total of 16 individual and/or group sessions each year without prior authorization.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, if all Massachusetts residents had access to low- or no-cost medications and counseling, 174,000 people would quit smoking in the next 10 years, representing a savings of $1.6 billlion in health care costs. In addition, research shows that MassHealth members who used the quit smoking benefit had a 38 percent decrease in hospitalizations for heart attacks and a 17 percent drop in emergency room and clinic visits due to asthma.
You can learn more about both public and private insurance options at makesmokinghistory.org. For more information on how you can quit smoking, contact Joan Rubel, project coordinator at Berkshire AHEC’s Northern Berkshire Tobacco-Free Community Partnership: jrubel@berkshireahec.org or 413-447-2417.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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You would think that all insurance companies would have a smoking cessation benefit. The money these companies could save on healthcare costs would be astronomical.
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — There's a cat No Paws Left Behind still waiting for his forever home.
iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home. He was previously highlighted but he now has new information.
Grey Boy is 10 years old and is a gray and white domestic shorthair and was previously highlighted on Companion Corner.
The shelter's Executive Director Noelle Howland introduced us to him and his long journey to be ready for adoption.
"He's been here a couple months. He was a transfer from a rescue in Bennington. They were out of space, so we had taken him in with a few other cats. So he's been here a couple months. He came in with what we believed was a respiratory infection," she said. "So it took us a little bit to get him ready, and then he also needed a dental. So he has nice, clean teeth. He had some teeth removed, and then he has to go back in and have one more dental. So he'll be all ready to go."
It was previously thought that he has feline herpes but he was recently diagnosed with a palette fracture because of how bad his dental disease was, which is what is causing his sneezing. He can now go home with cats, a cat-savvy dog and children.
"He has had two dentals since being with us. Due to the palate fracture he will be sneezy for the rest of his life, not contagious sneezing, but that doesn’t stop him from living a perfectly happy life. He should be on wet food with chunks due to this and since he has had many teeth removed," Howland said.
Grey Boy loves to play with toys and enjoy treats. He would also love to have a window to lounge or bird-watch in.
"He is not afraid of anything. He's very curious, so I'm sure he'd love if you have windows for him to look out of. He still plays, even though he's 10 it does not stop him. So any home would be a good fit for him."
Now that he is ready to be adopted, he is excited. When you walk into the room with him he will rub up against your leg introducing himself and asking to be pet.
"Usually, I would say, when you're walking, he'll bonk into you so he might catch you off guard a little bit. He constantly is rubbing against you," Howland said. "He really, I would say he's lazy when you want him to be, and he's active when you want him to be. He'll play with toys. He's usually lounging away. And then when he comes out he'll play. He loves it. So, very friendly, easy going cat."
He is now perfectly healthy with his dentals all done and veterinary care up to date and is ready to find his forever family.
"I would say the friendliest, easiest cat you could have. He's just, he's just gonna be a little sneezy sometimes, but that doesn't stop him from doing anything," she said.
Grey Boy's adoption fee is sponsored by Rooted in Balance Counseling LLC.
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