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QUITTING IS EASIER WITH HELP
I’m thinking about quitting or cutting back on my tobacco use: Are there any services that can help?
A Surgeon General's 1990 Report said, “Smoking cessation [stopping smoking] represents the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives.” It’s hard to quit smoking, but you can do it.
Counseling and medication are both effective for treating tobacco dependence, and using them together is more effective than using either one alone.*
We know quitting tobacco can be difficult to do. That's why your health plan’s offer a range of proven approaches to help you.
*Fiore MC, Jaén CR, Baker TB, et al. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update—Clinical Practice Guidelines. Rockville (MD): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2008 [accessed 2017 Jan 24].
Blue Shield of California
Wellvolution
Wellvolution is Blue Shield’s digital healthcare platform that provides digital clinical programs to help member’s quit smoking.
How does it work?
- Member accesses information and reviews digital programs at Wellvolution.com.
- Member creates an account
- Member answers 10-15 questions designed to identify unique health risks and health goals
- Member reviews recommended programs based on health risks, downloads the app of the program of their choice and begins participating and improving their health
What is available to help me stop smoking? Wellvolution Smoking Cessation programs include the following, depending upon which program you select:
- Proven effective quit aids such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) in the form of patches, gum, and lozenges (up to 2 months’ supply) sent to your home
- Personalized quit journey with unique and targeted interventions Strategies to cope with cravings and manage withdrawal symptoms
- Controlled, mindful breathing experience coupled with multisensory stimuli
- Stress management and problem-solving skill development
- 24/7 support from thousands of former tobacco users and current quitters
Wellvolution
Kaiser Permanente
Pharmacy Benefit:
You may be eligible to receive tobacco cessation medications at your drug benefit co-payment price with a prescription from your doctor. If you're interested, talk to your doctor. To learn more about which medication (over-the-counter or prescription) might be right for you, check out our animated Quit Tobacco Medications Program video below.
Classes and support groups:
Individual tobacco cessation counseling or classes can double your chance of success. Contact our Health Education department at your local Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, or sign up online for a Freedom From Tobacco class by visiting www.kp.org/classes.
Over-the-phone:
Working with a wellness coach can increase your likelihood of success by helping you create — and stick with — a plan to quit tobacco. Schedule phone sessions at times that work for you. No referral is needed. Call us at (866) 862-4295 (M-F 7am - 7pm PT) or schedule an appointment online www.kp.org/wellnesscoaching.
Online:
Take the Total Health Assessment to make good health part of you daily habits. It only takes about 10 minutes and there's no cost to members. Based on your results, you’ll find advice, encouragement, and tools that can help you make healthier lifestyle choices.
To get started, sign in to your online account at www.kp.org/tha. You can also get extra support from articles, videos, interactive tools, and more by visiting our Health Encyclopedia page on www.kp.org/quitsmoking.
Online: What are electronic cigarettes? Go to kp.org and type in Learning About Electronic Cigarettes for more information.
You’ll find information on:
Learning About Electronic Cigarettes
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CDC Guidance
Learn more about electronic cigarettes from the CDC here.
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What are electronic cigarettes?
Electronic cigarettes are battery powered devices that turn liquid nicotine into vapor (also known as vaping) that you breath in. Many of them are made to look like real cigarettes. Some have a light at the end that glows when you breathe it.
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How do e-cigarettes work?
E-cigarettes contain three main parts, a mouthpiece, heating element, and battery. The mouthpiece cartridge holds liquid nicotine. The heating element turns the liquid into vapor that you breathe in. The battery provides power for the heating element.
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Are e-cigarettes safe?
More research is needed before we know if e-cigarettes are safe for people to use. The long-term health effects of using them are not know. Just as with lead-tobacco cigarettes, the nicotine in e-cigarettes is addictive. And they do contain small amounts of harmful chemicals. It is not yet known how much of these chemicals and nicotine is breathed in with e-cigarettes.
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Can e-cigarettes help you stop smoking?
If you are thinking about using e-cigarettes to help you quit smoking, talk to your doctor first. It is not known if e-cigarettes will help you stop smoking. E-cigarette cartridges come with different levels of nicotine. Some people try to lower the nicotine levels over time. But it is not known if this is a healthy or effect way to control nicotine amounts. Using e-cigarettes may keep your addition to nicotine active and make it harder to quit. There is concern that the use of these by new users could lead to use of other tobacco products. Experts agree that there is not enough evidence to recommend using e-cigarettes to quit smoking.
UnitedHealthcare
United Healthcare City Plan PPO Members
Pharmacy Benefit:
UHC covers Smoking Cessation prescriptions from an In Network pharmacy at no cost to the member, as preventative. Supply limits apply. Nicotine replacement therapies include over-the-counter nicotine replacement gums, Lozenges, patches, and prescriptions like Chantix and bupropion tablets. Over-the-counter replacement options still require a prescription from the provider in order to have full coverage at in-network pharmacies.
Online Tools:
LiveAndWorkWell.com also includes a Tobacco Cessation website where members can view resources and support ideas.
Online Health Education Resources: Login to www.liveandworkwell.com for online health education resources. Once you login, click on "Mind and Body." You'll find tools for:
- Smoking and Addictions - Self-management tools for smoking cessation and risky drinking
- Assessments & Screeners - To determine readiness to quit smoking, and to provide Smoking Cost Estimators showing the money that could be saved by quitting
- Videos and Articles On Quitting Smoking, Secondhand Smoke, and using Medication Assisted Therapies to Increase the Success Rate
United Healthcare Medicare Advantage PPO Members:
Pharmacy Benefit:
Prescription benefits are paid in accordance to Medicare guidelines. Please check your Evidence of Coverage and Prescription Drug List for more information.
Face-to-face:
If you use tobacco, we cover two counseling quit attempts within a 12- month period as a preventive service with no cost to you. Each counseling attempt includes up to four face-to-face visits. For more information, please contact UHC at (877) 259-0493.
Live and Work Well Tobacco Cessation
Posted On
Dec 17, 2020