Providing Medicaid Coverage for Tobacco Cessation

MassHealth enrollees are more likely to need cessation support, given their economic status and higher likelihood of tobacco use. After Massachusetts led the nation in 2006 by including a comprehensive tobacco cessation benefit within all MassHealth plans, there was a significant uptake of individuals using the evidence-based cessation treatments. This led to reduced smoking rates, improved health outcomes, and decreased medical costs in the first two years. This bill seeks to expand access to the program by allowing trained and approved dentists and behavioral health practitioners to provide cessation counseling as recommended by the CDC.