Should Alabama’s Medicaid Program Cover Smoking Cessation Programs?

HARTSELLE – Cigarettes are some people’s biggest weakness. A doctor in Hartselle says Alabama’s Medicaid program should help those people.
Right now, the public healthcare program does not cover smoking cessation treatments. In the end, it’s only costing the state more to take care of patients who end up with tobacco-related illnesses.
A doctor in Hartselle is trying to get people to kick the smoking habit, but he’s having a problem getting Alabama’s Medicaid to help out.
Meet 64-year-old Johnny Brown. He’s been smoking since he was seven years old. No joke, he puffed his first Chesterpill when he was a child.
“I probably will until I die,” said Brown.He says that jokingly, but he’d like to quit smoking if he could.
Brown is on Alabama’s Medicaid program. However, that plan doesn’t cover smoking cessation treatments. Therefore, his fixed income is left strapped.
“I pinch pennies. I do,” said Brown. “No excess.”
“Well, how do you afford cigarettes every week?” WHNT NEWS 19 asked him.”Well, see, that’s a necessity,” Brown replied. “That’s a necessity. If you want something bad enough, you can always get out here and get it.”Brown is one of Dr. Thomas Mathew’s patients.
Brown wants to quit, but he needs that extra push.
“There are plenty of people who are motivated that if they had insured products, products that are covered by their insurance,” said Dr. Mathew. “They would successfully have a much better chance of stopping and looking on to other chapters in their life.”
Dr. Mathew wants Alabama Medicaid to get on board and start covering smoking cessation treatments such as the patch, gum, and pills.
“I hope Alabama will get on the bandwagon,” said Dr. Mathew. “I mean, after all, 44 other states have already seen the value in this, they’ve already been saving so much money by providing the tobacco cessation products.”
Dr. Mathew says it would save Medicaid money in the long term.
“I think maybe they haven’t realized the value of it. They see the immediate expenditure,” said Dr. Mathew. “I don’t think they’ve realized in the long term they will save a lot of money.”
More importantly, it can save the lives of people like Johnny Brown.
“I will quit smoking before I have to have an oxygen tank sitting right there or either go with an oxygen tank sitting with me,” said Brown.
Alabama is one of six states that doesn’t cover smoking cessation treatments for Medicaid recipients.
According to the American Lung Association the Medicaid population smokes at a rate almost 60% higher than the general adult population.