RI health insurers to cover smoking cessation treatments

PROVIDENCE—Starting Friday, health insurers in Rhode Island are required to cover all smoking cessation medications and treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

“That means Chantiz, Zyban, nicotine replacement, counseling, any of those, with any combination with anything else. So the treatment is much broader than it was before,“ said John Cogan, office of the health insurance commissioner.

Cogan said the new regulations give healthcare providers more flexibility in how they treat patients. Dr. John Cava, a cardiologist at The Miriam Hospital, said having that flexibility is key.

“There is no one size fits all. Some things work for one patient and not for another patient, and it depends,“ Cava said.

According to the American Heart Association, smoking kills hundreds of Rhode Islanders every year.

Advocates hope the new rules will give people access to the treatments they need to help them quit.

“Some of the newer prescriptions that are either higher tier or not covered have prevented people from taking newer medications that have proven very effective,“ said Janet Long of the American Heart Association.

Rhode Island’s two major insurers, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island and UnitedHealth, both support the new regulations.