Can Medicare Help Me Stop Smoking?
Smoking is an incredibly common, but unhealthy habit that can harm nearly every organ in the body. Not only can it cause lung cancer, increase your chances of breaking bones and Alzheimer’s Disease, but it can also contribute to premature aging and empty your wallet. While the best way to avoid these health risks is to never start smoking to begin with, quitting can help protect you if you are already smoking. And the good news is, you don’t have to try quitting smoking on your own!
Smoking can cause lung cancer, weaken your bones, increase your chances of Alzheimer’s Disease, and contribute to premature aging.
The issue is that cigarettes and other forms of tobacco contain a highly addictive substance (nicotine), which makes it famously difficult to quit once you’ve made smoking a habit. Luckily, there are plenty of programs and groups set up to assist smokers with quitting. Many times, though, these programs aren’t free, which can push some to go it alone. Some succeed at this, many don’t. If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, your plan may be able to help you afford smoking cessation programs!
Smoking Cessation Counseling
Under Medicare Part B, you can receive coverage for counseling for smoking prevention and cessation. If you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you can also receive coverage for this counseling. Primarily, the service is for people who wish to quit smoking or prevent themselves from starting up again after they have quit. This can entail in-person counseling, groups, or even national quitlines. If you decide to give cessation counseling a try, how much will you be paying?
That means no copays, no coinsurances, and nothing applied to the deductible.
Well, you’re in luck. Unlike other mental health services covered by Medicare, smoking cessation treatment is covered entirely by Medicare, under the correct circumstances. That means no copays, no coinsurances, and nothing applied to the deductible. To receive this coverage, however, the treatment must be given by a qualified doctor or Medicare-recognized provider. The provider must also accept Medicare assignment.
Medicare will cover eight counseling sessions in a 12-month period. This should allow for nearly monthly sessions as you work with a medical professional to stop smoking or stay tobacco-free.
What’s Not Covered?
Generally speaking, Medicare Part D won’t cover over-the-counter treatments for tobacco cessation. This includes common options like nicotine patches or gum, which replace the nicotine you would get from cigarettes to limit your cravings. Depending on your plan, you may receive coverage for prescription medication for tobacco cessation, but this depends entirely on your specific formulary.
● ● ●
Quitting smoking isn’t easy, but it can be worth the effort. With all of the ways that smoking can harm your body, quitting just makes sense. In acknowledgement of how difficult (but important) quitting is, Medicare not only assists with programs that help you, it outright makes it free to you, providing you get treatment in the right setting. If you’re debating tobacco cessation (and you should!), you don’t have to go it alone.
Featured Blogs
- Learning to Ski
- The Stories Behind Classic Christmas Carols
- 4 More Tips to Make Christmas Tree Hunt Less Stressful
- Why Do We Celebrate That? Other Festive Holidays
- A Senior Guide to Boston
- A Senior Guide to Edinburgh
- How Does Medicare Cover Osteoporosis?
- What are Ulcers?
- Medicare's Coverage of Parkinson's Disease
- What is a Cognitive Screening?
- Spooky Spots for Halloween 2023
- 4 Ways to Keep Trick-or-Treating Safe
- 10 Classic Horror Books for Halloween
- Here's What Medicare Costs in 2024
- 10 Safety Rules for Seniors Who Enjoy Hunting
- Medicareful Living is Changing Its Name — Here's Why
- CMS Releases 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Costs
- Can You Keep Your Medicare Plan Each Year?
- A Senior Guide to Lucerne
- Is Expensive Cookware Worth It?
- The Drug Prices Medicare Can Directly Negotiate
- Does Medicare Ever Cover Cosmetic Surgery?
- A Senior Guide to Barcelona
- How Does COBRA Work with Medicare?
- Different Ways Medicare Can Cover Drug Costs
- Medicareful Living is Changing Its Name — Here's Why
- CMS Releases 2024 Medicare Advantage and Part D Costs
- Can You Keep Your Medicare Plan Each Year?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Lucerne
- Is Expensive Cookware Worth It?
- The Drug Prices Medicare Can Directly Negotiate
- Does Medicare Ever Cover Cosmetic Surgery?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Barcelona
- How Does COBRA Work with Medicare?
- Different Ways Medicare Can Cover Drug Costs
- All About Enrolling in Social Security
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to the Madrid
- Does Medicare Cover Open-Heart Surgery?
- Exercise Tips for Summer
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to Lisbon
- Hosting a Safe Summer Barbecue
- Senior Summer Barbecue Tips
- Does Medicare Cover Biopsies?
- 5 Foods to Avoid if You Have High Blood Pressure
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to the Finger Lakes
- Does Medicare Cover Endoscopies?
- Ways Seniors Can Recover from a Workout
- Is Chocolate Healthy for You?
- Understanding Adult ADHD
- How Does Medicare Cover Hypertension?
- The Symptoms and Treatment of Parkinson's Disease
- How to Determine What Temperature to Use When Cooking
- Eating Healthy on a Budget
- Keeping Fit on Vacation
- Is Your Tonsillectomy Covered by Medicare?
- Tips for the Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Kitchen First Aid Tips
- What Does FDA-Approved Mean?
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Guide to New York City
- How to Caramelize Onions
- Why Do We Celebrate That? April Fools’ Day
- Medicare and Powers of Attorney
- The Essential Role of Eggs in Cooking
- What are Different Types of Complementary
and Alternative Medicine? - Tips for Remembering to Take Your Medicine
- What is Medicare Part E?
- Building Your Basic At-Home Senior Gym
- How to Make Stovetop Popcorn
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to New Orleans
- How to Navigate & Read Academic Articles
- Phytonutrients: What Plant Color Says About Nutrition
- How to Prevent or Reduce Inflammation
- Osteoporosis: Risk Factors, Signs, and Treatment
- How to Make Homemade Pretzels
- Researching Your Ancestry and Family Tree
- How Medicare and Social Security Work Together
- What is Nordic Walking?
- Food Questions You've Been Embarrassed to Ask
- How Medicare Changed for 2023 and Beyond
- Tips for Using a Microwave
- How to Clean Your Ears Safely
- Skiing as a Healthy Hobby for Seniors
- 3 More Great Places to Celebrate New Year's Eve
- Why Do We Celebrate That? More New Year's Eve Traditions
- Panettone, the Italian Christmas Dessert
- A Simple Homemade Gingerbread Recipe
- How to Make Christmas Decorating Jollier
- The Science of Winter Weight Gain
- Seasonal Picks: 3 Foods You Should Try This Winter
- 5 Tips to Make Getting Your Christmas Tree Stress-Free
- Show-Stopping Potato Side Dishes for Thanksgiving
- Dishes to Impress Your Friends: Boeuf Bourguignon
- Holiday Travel Tips to Reduce Stress
- Does Medicare Cover Pain Management?
- Is Hunting a Healthy Senior Hobby?
- Ways You Can Get More Politically Involved
- What are Medicare's Lifetime Reserve Days?
- Spooky Spots for Seniors Halloween 2022
- How to Make Soul Cakes for Halloween
- Jack O' Lantern Carving Tips for Halloween
- Easy Ways to Peel a Potato
- 2023 Social Security COLA Largest in Decades
- Exercise Tips for Autumn
- How to Make Candy Apples at Home
- Why are Medicare Insurance Sales Calls Recorded?
- Here's What Medicare Costs in 2023
- CMS Updates Medicare Enrollment Rules for 2023
- Medicareful Travel: Senior Trip to London
- Does Medicare Cover Insomnia Treatment?
- Healthy and Easy Homemade Dog Treats
- The FDA Finalizes Ruling to Increase Access to Hearing Aids
- What the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Means for Medicare
- Tips to Make Flying and Airports Less Stressful
- CMS Projects Lower 2023 Part D Average Costs
- The 15 Golden Rules of Airplane Etiquette
- How Often Should You Shower?
- What are Medicare Pilot Programs?
- How to Care for Your Cast Iron Cookware
- Confronting a Loved One About Hurtful Behavior
- What Does Creditable Coverage Mean for Medicare?