Key Points: The importance of engaging Medicaid programs at the state level will be reviewed including the critical role Medicaid plays in reaching low income populations and, importantly, how collaboration can occur regardless of where Medicaid is on the continuum of providing cessation treatments. An overview of current Medicaid perspectives on adding cessation coverage will be provided with emphasis on what information they will find persuasive from tobacco control advocates.

Presenters from two states will walk through the processes they successfully utilized to engage their Medicaid programs in addressing cessation coverage. They will review the following key steps: building relationships and emphasizing the need to promote cessation and the quitline even when Medicaid is not providing coverage for cessation treatments; providing, maintaining, or increasing cessation coverage with the goal of achieving comprehensive coverage; assuring providers and recipients are knowledgeable about existing cessation coverage; and determining and using utilization rates to guide promotions and program improvement.

Learning Objectives: Participants will learn strategies for approaching and engaging Medicaid programs in a range of tobacco cessation activities working towards provision of comprehensive cessation coverage.

Benefits: Medicaid participants have high smoking rates and are at increased risk of tobacco-related illness and death. State Medicaid program coverage of effective cessation treatments varies widely. Strategies discussed can be used to encourage more state Medicaid programs to adopt comprehensive coverage thereby decreasing the health and economic burden of tobacco use in this high-risk population.