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Reducing tobacco use is integral to improving public health. Restrictions like tobacco surcharges are significant barriers to affordable health insurance. This toolkit, updated August 2019, is designed to help build relationships between tobacco control and public health professionals and healthcare enrollment assistors to help new insurance enrollees quit tobacco. It includes information on the challenges posed by tobacco surcharges as well as how open enrollment can be an opportunity to help people quit.
How can Tobacco Control Program staff encourage health systems and community partners to enhance sustainability efforts for tobacco treatment services?
The key to effective system changes to integrate cessation interventions is the consistent, on-going evaluation of both outcomes and processes.
Hospitals have an important role to play in reducing tobacco use in their communities. Non-profit hospitals are required to meet specific requirements, including conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CNHA) and adopt an implementation strategy at least once every three years, to maintain their tax-exempt status. This toolkit highlights how public health can work with hospitals to address tobacco as part of this process.
This resource collection contains new Lung Association tools and guides, along with curated partner resources to support tobacco control program staff and other public health professionals, working with providers, organizations, agencies and systems serving people with mental illness and substance use disorders. Content is regularly updated and is based on feedback from key stakeholders, including state and local tobacco control program staff, behavioral health program staff, clinical care providers and other content experts.
State Insurance Commissioners play a key role in tobacco cessation coverage, as they regulate most private insurance plans in their state. This toolkit is designed to help state tobacco control program staff and their partners work with the state Insurance Commissioner on improving tobacco cessation coverage in their exchange plans and in other private plans.
Page last updated: September 27, 2024
