WASHINGTON, Nov. 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the American Lung Association:

A report issued today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that last year, 34 states provided some level of Medicaid coverage for low-income people who want to quit smoking. Seventeen states offered no Medicaid coverage at all for tobacco dependence treatments. "Those 17 states account for 27 percent of the nation's Medicaid population," said John L. Kirkwood, CEO of the American Lung Association. "It is appalling that more than one quarter of our low-income citizens cannot turn to Medicaid for help in quitting smoking." "Quitting smoking is the single most important thing any smoker can do to improve their health," said Norman H. Edelman, M.D., scientific and medical consultant to the American Lung Association. "Every smoker in this country, regardless of income, should have access to smoking cessation counseling programs and pharmaceutical intervention -- including prescription and over-the-counter medications -- that will help them quit." In 2000, more than 11.5 million smokers were enrolled in the Medicaid program. Studies show that one of the largest concerns for low-income smokers who want to quit is how to pay for smoking cessation medications and counseling programs. "While we commend those states that provide Medicaid help to smokers, many need to offer more comprehensive benefits. Some state Medicaid packages, for example, cover prescription drugs but not the counseling that gives smokers the support they need to quit and stay quit," said Kirkwood. "The 17 states without any coverage at all need to revisit how they spend their health care dollars. They can save money -- and lives -- by extending Medicaid coverage to smoking cessation," he said. In 1997 and 1998, states entered a multibillion settlement agreement with the tobacco industry. To date, few of those states have invested an adequate share of their settlement dollars in comprehensive smoking prevention and cessation programs. "Funding Medicaid coverage for cessation services would go a long way toward fulfilling the promise of those agreements," said Kirkwood. The American Lung Association strongly supports legislation now pending in Congress to amend the Social Security Act to promote tobacco cessation coverage under Medicaid. The legislation (S 854) was introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). According to the CDC, reducing smoking among Medicaid recipients would save states money by lowering the rates and cost of tobacco-related disease. For low-income pregnant smokers, reduced smoking rates could mean fewer low-birthweight babies, who often require lengthy, costly medical treatment. The CDC report, "Update on State Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco Dependence Treatments -- United States, 1998 and 2000," published in the Nov. 9 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Review, can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5044a3.htm.

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