Jan. 26--CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Nicotine patches, prescription medications and other quit-smoking aids are out of reach for many West Virginia Medicaid recipients, health advocates said Monday.
The American Lung Association and other groups want the state's Medicaid program to pay for comprehensive smoking-cessation coverage. Advocates held a Capitol news conference to call on Gov. Joe Manchin, legislators and the Department of Health and Human Resources to support such funding.
The groups plan to deliver a petition to DHHR Secretary Patsy Hardy.
West Virginia has the nation's highest smoking rate, at more than 26 percent, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control report released last year.
"Believe me, too many lives have been lost to nicotine addiction," said Deborah Brown, acting CEO of the Lung Association's Mid-Atlantic division. "This is a fight we must win."
The Lung Association and the CDC recommend seven types of treatment to help people quit smoking, Brown said. Those include nicotine patches, gums and nasal sprays, and prescription medications.
The state's Public Employees Insurance Agency covers all seven treatments. Coverage for Medicaid recipients is inconsistent and varies depending on a person's plan, the health groups say.
West Virginians who get Medicaid benefits may not have access to all seven therapies, and getting help can be a "very cumbersome" process, Brown said.
In neighboring Ohio and Virginia, Medicaid covers all of the recommended smoking-cessation therapies, according to the lung association. And in Kentucky, Gov. Steve Beshear recently proposed expanding Medicaid to cover such treatment.
It usually takes smokers five to seven attempts before they kick the habit, so it's important to have as much help as possible, she said.
Nationally, 36 percent of Medicaid recipients smoke, compared to about 20 percent of the overall population, Brown said.
The groups also cited a state study showing that 46 percent of West Virginia women on Medicaid smoke while pregnant.
DHHR spokesman John Law said officials would "have to look at what Medicaid funds are available" before taking a position on the groups' recommendations.
About 350,000 West Virginians receive Medicaid benefits, Law said.
Advocates say the state would save money in the long-term if it cut down on smoking-related health costs.
In West Virginia, Medicaid pays for lung transplants, Brown said, but not for lower-cost smoking-cessation programs.
Other groups represented at the news conference Monday included AARP, the American Heart Association, March of Dimes, and the West Virginia State Medical Association.
Reach Alison Knezevich at alisonk@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1240.
-----
To see more of The Charleston Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wvgazette.com.
Copyright (c) 2010, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.