Details:

Alternative Title:
Prev Chronic Dis
Personal Author:
Burns, Marguerite E. ; Rosenberg, Marjorie A. ; Fiore, Michael C.
Burns, Marguerite E. ; Rosenberg, Marjorie A. ; Fiore, Michael C. Less -
Description:
Introduction

Uncertainty about levels of employee use of an insurance benefit for smoking-cessation treatment has presented a barrier to employers considering the adoption of such coverage. This study examined self-reported awareness and use of a new insurance benefit for smoking-cessation treatment among a sample of Wisconsin state employees, retirees, and adult dependents.

Methods

We evaluated the self-reported use of insurance coverage for smoking-cessation treatment during the first 2 years of its availability to the Wisconsin state employee, retiree, and adult dependent population. We conducted analyses of responses to smoking-related questions in 2001 and 2002 cross-sectional surveys of insured state employees, retirees, and adult dependents, weighted to represent this population.

Results

In 2002, benefit use among smokers aware of the benefit was 39.6%, and benefit use among smokers unaware of the benefit was 3.5%. Only 27.4% of smokers were aware of the benefit in 2002; use among all smokers was 13.6%. Of all smokers, 30.4% used smoking-cessation treatment medication (over-the-counter or covered) in 2002. Smoking prevalence was 15.6% in 2001 and 13.2% in 2002.

Conclusion

In an educated employee population, self-reported smoking-cessation treatment benefit use was modest among all smokers during its first 2 years of availability. Benefit awareness was low in this educated population, which may help explain low use rates, particularly given the 30% of all smokers who attempted to quit smoking with the help of smoking-cessation treatment medication. These data provide use-rate estimates for states contemplating adoption of an evidence-based smoking-cessation treatment benefit.


Subject:
[+]
Adult
Awareness
Health Benefit Plans, Employee
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Insurance, Health
Insurance Benefits
Nonprescription Drugs
Prevalence
Retirement
Smoking
Smoking Cessation
State Government

Source:
Prev Chronic Dis. 2005; 2(4).
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
Wisconsin
Collection(s):
Preventing Chronic Disease
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:5b8c4a7b32e6af1f14125a8a3d72ba2a4c76d4cade274dbb76d09d5def60e21e
File Type:

Supporting Files

• 	license.txt	txt
  	PCD24A15.nxml	txt

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