Medicare Smoking Cessation Coverage

Medicare Part B provides smoking cessation coverage. According to the American Lung Association, Medicare covers four counseling sessions per quit attempt, with two quiet-attempts covered per year. Furthermore, you are eligible for smoking cessation coverage regardless of whether you show signs of tobacco-related disease.

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Now that you know what Medicare covers smoking cessation, what does it cost?

According to Medicare.gov, you pay nothing for the counseling sessions if your doctor or other qualified health care provider accepts Medicare assignment. However, continuing to smoke can cost your life. CDC.gov says, “Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States.”

Besides preventing disease and death, what are other health benefits of quitting tobacco?

Every year, smoking kills approximately 480,000 Americans and costs the nation more than $300 billion a year.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Quitting tobacco reduces your health risks. For example, smoking cessation “improves well-being, including higher quality of life.” According to Quit.com, “the longer you stay smoke-free, the more benefits you’ll see.” The Quit Smoking Timeline shows you the health benefits you get after you quit smoking.

Quit Smoking Timeline

• After you stop smoking for two weeks to 3 months, your heart attack risk drops, and your lung function improves. 
• Between one month and nine months, your coughing and shortness of breath decreases.
• One year after you quit, your risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.

Furthermore, you decrease your risk of lung cancer and other cancers. You can reduce your risk for cancer of the stomach, mouth, throat, kidney, cervix, pancreas, and bladder. Medicare provides preventive services to detect disease early, so treatment is most effective.

In addition to Medicare smoking cessation coverage, Medicare covers the following preventive services for smokers and former smokers:

• Medicare Lung Cancer Screening
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Lastly, being a tobacco smoker costs more than your health.

When you quit smoking, you save thousands per year. If you are a one-pack-a-day smoker, smoking costs you on average $6.18 per day. By becoming a non-smoker, you save over $2,200 per year! Furthermore, you can get non-smoker discounts on Medicare Plans. Call Senior Healthcare Direct at 1-855-368-4717 and find out how much you can save as a non-smoker.