# The Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act: What It Means for You

This bill makes a significant change to how Medicaid and CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program) cover tobacco cessation services. Essentially, it requires these government health programs to pay for counseling and medications to help people quit smoking, and it removes financial barriers that might prevent people from using these services.

Right now, Medicaid and CHIP don't consistently cover all tobacco cessation treatments, and when they do, people often have to pay out-of-pocket costs like copays or deductibles. This bill changes that by requiring comprehensive coverage of proven quit-smoking treatments—including counseling sessions, nicotine replacement therapy, and FDA-approved medications like Chantix or Wellbutrin. The federal government would cover 90 percent of these costs for the first five years, making it much cheaper for states to offer these services. After five years, the federal government would continue covering its normal share. Importantly, people using these services wouldn't have to pay any copays, deductibles, or other out-of-pocket costs, removing a major obstacle to getting help.

The bill also requires states to run public awareness campaigns to let people know these services are available and to encourage doctors and clinicians to recommend them. Additionally, it prevents states from requiring prior authorization for tobacco cessation medications—meaning people wouldn't have to jump through bureaucratic hoops to get their quit-smoking drugs approved before they can fill a prescription. This matters because delays in getting medication can cause people to lose motivation and go back to smoking.

The practical effect is straightforward: if you're on Medicaid or CHIP and want to quit smoking, you'd have free access to professional help and medications without worrying about costs or administrative delays. This applies to adults, teenagers, and even pregnant women covered by these programs.

Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act

Blunt Rochester, Lisa

Helping Tobacco Users Quit ActThis bill provides for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of certain tobacco cessation services.Specifically, the bill provides for coverage, without cost-sharing, of diagnostic, therapy, and counseling services and pharmacotherapy, including prescription and nonprescription tobacco cessation agents, that are provided under medical supervision and in accordance with specified guidelines. It also applies a 90% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for such items and services for five years.&nbsp;