State Office for Aging Director Points to New Medicare Benefit

ALBANY, NY (09/01/2010)(readMedia)-- Michael J. Burgess, Director of the New York State Office for the Aging wants all New York State seniors to be aware of a new benefit in the Medicare Program that can improve health and save lives. The new benefit relates to helping older smokers and tobacco users obtain counseling to help them stop their tobacco use.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has expanded Medicare coverage of evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling, removing a barrier to treatment for all tobacco users covered by Medicare.

Under the new coverage, that will apply to services under Parts A and B of Medicare, any smoker covered by Medicare will be able to receive tobacco cessation counseling from a qualified physician or other Medicare-recognized practitioner who can work with them to help them stop using tobacco. All Medicare beneficiaries will continue to have access to smoking-cessation prescription medication through the Medicare Prescription Drug Program (Part D).

Director Burgess notes, "The ill effects of tobacco use have long been known and it is never too late to break away from the use of tobacco products and to begin to reap the benefits of improved health. Unfortunately after a lifetime of use, these habits are difficult to break, but with proper counseling and support, hopefully older users can remove tobacco use from their lives and breath easier and hopefully live longer."

For smokers who successfully quit, the health benefits will begin immediately and continue for the rest of their lives. These benefits include reducing their risk of death from coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive lung disease, and lung and other cancers.

The new benefit will cover two individual tobacco cessation counseling attempts per year. Each attempt may include up to four sessions, with a total annual benefit thus covering up to eight sessions per Medicare patient who uses tobacco.

Under the Affordable Care Act, effective Jan. 1, 2011, Medicare will cover preventive care services, including the tobacco cessation counseling services provided under this decision, and other services such as certain colorectal cancer screening and mammograms at no cost to beneficiaries. The Affordable Care Act also gives beneficiaries access to a no-cost annual physical exam so they can partner with their doctors to develop and update personal prevention plans, which will be based on their current health needs and risk factors. Medicare beneficiaries who are tobacco users and want to seek this counseling should speak with their primary health care provider.

The New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) advocates for the over 3.4 million New Yorkers who are 60 years of age and older, including at all levels of government and the private sector, with the cooperation of concerned organizations and older persons. In addition, NYSOFA administers federally funded programs under the Older Americans Act and a variety of state-funded programs which serve the elderly. Information on NYSOFA programs and services is available at www.aging.ny.gov or by calling Senior Citizens' Help Line at 1-800-342-9871