Tobacco Cessation Programs And Resources in Central Connecticut C e n t r a l C o n n e c t i c u t H e a l t h D i s t r i c t 505 Silas Deane Highway Wethersfield, CT 06109 Phone: (860) 721-2822 Fax: (860) 721-2823 Website: www.ccthd.org
Introduction No matter how young or old you are, you can benefit from quitting smoking. Here is why: Smoking kills 4,900 CT adults each year and there are 444,000 (16.7%) adult smokers in CT. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States (CT DPH). Benefits of quitting within 20 minutes of your last cigarette results in your heart rate calming down. After 12 hours, there is more oxygen in your blood. After ten years, your risk of getting lung cancer is cut in half. (CDC) CCHD is currently addressing the issue of smoking through the ACHIEVE Initiative which focuses on creating and implementing policies to reduce tobacco use in order to decrease tobacco-related illness and increase health and wellbeing. This booklet is also available on our website, www.ccthd.org. *This is not an endorsement of any one smoking cessation program. This project is funded by the CT Cancer Partnership and the CT Department of Public Health.. Page 2 Second Hand Smoke When you breathe secondhand smoke (SHS), it is like you are smoking. For every eight smokers the tobacco industry kills, it takes one nonsmoker with them. The Surgeon General has repeatedly stated that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Each year as many as 62,000 people die from heart disease caused by SHS, and 3,400 cases of lung cancer in non-smokers. Because of workplace laws people are more likely to be exposed to SHS in their homes than anywhere else. Wives of smokers have a 91% greater risk of heart disease. If parents smoke around their children, the children can inhale the equivalent of 102 packs of cigarettes by age five. Nationwide, children exposed to secondhand smoke experience a total of seven million more days of missed school every year. Children who grow up with smokers in the family are more likely to have asthma by the age of six than children living in non-smoking households. Tobacco smoke is a major trigger for asthma attacks. SHS can not only cause new cases of asthma, but also make asthma worse causing more frequent and more severe attacks. SHS can even make your pets sick. To protect the people you love, adopt a no smoking policy in your home. You are already taking it outside everywhere else. Do the same for your own family. Page 19
Pfizer: Pharmaceutical Company Programs Pfizer offers the GETQUIT Plan for free with a CHANTIX prescription. It's a step-by-step plan designed to help prepare for life as a nonsmoker. GETQUIT only takes minutes a day, and it offers online support that helps you learn how to quit smoking. The GETQUIT Plan offers topics and activities designed to help you trade old smoking routines for new healthy ones. It also provides access to progress trackers that show you the number of days you ve quit, as well as the money you may have saved by not buying cigarettes. Table of Contents Smoking Cessation Programs No Cost Programs 4-5 Medicare 6-7 Medicaid 8 Veterans 8-9 Behavioral Health Services 10-11 Hospital Based Programs 12-13 Community Based Programs 14-16 Insurance Covered Programs 17 Pharmaceutical Sponsored Programs 18 Second Hand Smoke 19 For more information visit www.getquit.com. Page 18 Page 3
No Cost Programs Insurance Programs CT Quitline Program The CT Quitline Smoking Program is provided through the CT Department of Public Health (DPH). The CT Quitline is a free telephone tobacco cessation program providing cessation counseling, quitting information and nicotine replacement therapy. All smokers are eligible for two weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and up to five individual phone counseling sessions. Young adults ages 13-17 yrs old and pregnant women are eligible for special counseling sessions only. Trained Quit Coaches help people quit smoking. The coaches will help create a personalized Quit Plan for each individual and provide nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges, whichever best fits a particular individual. Participants can also use the Text2Quit option, where they receive text messages about motivation to quit, how to use nicotine replacement therapy, and counseling. The CT Quitline is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. www.quitnow.net/connecticut/ Aetna Aetna s Health Connections Program: Aetna offers its members the opportunity to work with experienced healthy lifestyle coaches and counselors, as well as online tools to help them quit smoking. This program is at no additional cost. For more information go to www.aetna.com or call 1-800-872-3862 Cigna Cigna offers its members a variety of online interactive tools and resources to aid in quitting smoking. These tools are available at through Cigna s online Health and Well-being Library. For more information go to www.cigna.com or call 1-800-997-1654 Other Check with your insurance carrier to determine if tobacco cessation is a covered benefit. Page 4 Page 17
Community Programs (Continued) Meriden Health Department: This program offers a variety of services to Meriden residents, especially pregnant and post-partum women and their household members. These services include: Small group and individual counseling Nicotine replacement therapy (a 12 week supply of either the patch, gum, or lozenge) *Some exclusions apply. Referrals to 24 hour support lines and services. For more information on this program, please call Geralyn at 203.630.4003 or email her at glaut@meridenct.gov Community Health Centers Inc.: Community Health Centers in Bristol, Middletown, and New Britain provide comprehensive tobacco cessation services for their clients. www.chc1.com No Cost Programs (continued) Web-based Programs: Becomeanex.org:The EX Plan is based on scientific research and practical advice from ex-smokers. It isn t just about quitting smoking. It s about re-learning life without cigarettes. Smokefree.gov: This free program provides a step-by-step quit guide Cleaning the Air, an opportunity to talk to an expert and specialized programs for women, teens and veterans. There are specialized programs for women, Hispanics, teens and veterans: Women.smokefree.gov Espanol.smokefree.gov Teen.smokefree.gov Ucaquit2.org Nicotine-Anonymous.org: Nicotine Anonymous is a Non- Profit 12 Step Fellowship of men and women helping each other live nicotine-free lives. Nicotine Anonymous welcomes all those seeking freedom from nicotine addiction. Middletown CHC: Bristol CHC: 635 Main Street 395 North Main Street Middletown, CT 06457 Bristol, CT 06010 860.347.6971 860-585-5000 New Britain CHC: 85 Lafayette Street New Britain, CT 06051 860.224.3642 Page 16 Page 5
Medicare Programs Smoking Cessation is a Medicare Benefit: All people with Medicare who use tobacco are covered. Covered services include: Tobacco Use Cessation Counseling: Medicare counseling to help you quit smoking is covered under Medicare Part B. (smoking cessation). Medicare will cover two counseling attempts at quitting smoking per year. Each attempt includes four sessions. Medicare will cover a total of eight sessions every 12 months. Since January 1, 2011, persons with Original Medicare no longer pay coinsurances or deductibles for smoking cessation counseling if they have not been diagnosed with an illness that is caused or complicated by smoking and see a Medicarerecognized doctor or other health care provider. Medicare also covers smoking cessation counseling for those people with Medicare who have been diagnosed with a disease or condition caused by smoking. In this case, Medicare will pay 80 percent of the approved amount for smoking cessation counseling after the deductible is met. In hospital outpatient departments, persons will pay a co-pay that is no greater than the Part A deductible ($1,184 in 2013). Community Programs (Continued) American Lung Association Freedom from Smoking This program is for adults who are ready to quit smoking. The program consists of eight sessions where a trained professional works with a small group of 8-10 people. The current program also focuses on nicotine replacement therapy. The Freedom From Smoking program is also offered online and provides educational material that is essential to quit smoking. Lung HelpLine 1-800-LUNG-USA, offers one-on-one support from registered nurses and respiratory therapists. Individuals have the opportunity to learn about lung health and are able to find out how to participate in and join Lung Association smoking cessation programs. 45 Ash Street East Hartford, CT 06108 Phone: (860)-289-5401 Email: info@lungne.org www.lungne.org Individuals can receive counseling at the doctor s office (including physicians, psychologists, and clinical social workers), clinic or outpatient department of a hospital. Counseling must be done by a doctor or an approved Medicare provider. Page 6 Page 15
Community Based Programs Quit for Life American Cancer Society This program treats every tobacco user as a unique individual and tailors a tobacco cessation plan that is based on the participant s lifestyle, preferences, and tobacco use history. Participants receive coaching calls and unlimited toll-free access to Quit Coaches throughout the program. Participants are also provided with access to Web Coach learning, tracking, and social support. Participants are also able to receive text messages from the Text2Quit Program. 203-379-4700 or www.cancer.org Hartford Hypnosis Center A licensed professional offers counseling and hypnotherapy. The cigarette addiction treatment is a five week program geared toward individual clients dealing with all aspects of smoking addiction: withdrawal, coping skills, social adjustments, and stress reduction. The program is individualized based on the clients needs. The cost of the entire program is $500. Medicare Programs (continued) Tobacco Prescription Medications: Tobacco prescription medications to help quit smoking are covered under Medicare Part D (Prescription Coverage). Contact your personal physician or medical home to obtain these benefits. Over-the-counter treatments for smoking cessation, such as nicotine patches or gum, are not covered. This is because overthe-counter medications are excluded from Medicare Part D coverage by law. However, prescription drugs for smoking cessation are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D). Note: Medicare will not pay for hypnosis sessions to help you quit smoking. Medicare.gov David J. Norton MA., LPC Hartford Hypnosis Center 86 Brookside Road, New Britain, CT 06052 860-229-5513 www.hartfordhypnosis.net/ Page 14 Page 7
Medicaid Medicaid and Veteran Programs Since January 2012, CT Medicaid provides comprehensive tobacco cessation benefits for its clients. This includes nicotine-replacement therapies (NRTs), pharmaceuticals (Bupropion and Chantix), and counseling. There are no restrictions on utilization. NRTs do require a prescription. For enrollment contact your physician, medical home or social/case worker. Veterans Veterans Administration: The VA system has a comprehensive smoking cessation program and also provides a free online cessation program. US Dept of Veteran's Affairs VA CT Healthcare System Smoking Cessation Smoking Cessation 950 Campbell Avenue 555 Willard Avenue West Haven, CT 06516 Newington, CT 06111 203-937-2303 860-594-6302 Free Online Program: Quit Tobacco, Make Everyone Proud Live Help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. www.ucanquit2.org Hospital Based Programs (continued) St. Francis Hospital Stop Smoking Through Hypnosis- Participants interested in quitting smoking using hypnosis should contact 1-877- STFRANCIS (877-783-7262) for a one session seminar. The fee for the seminar is $40 and is located at Center for Integrative Medicine in Hartford. Break Free From Smoking Program This program offered at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center uses the U.S. Surgeon General s Best Practice recommendations, including face-to-face counseling combined with nicotine replacement therapy. The fee for a six-week group counseling program is $150 and a six-week individual counseling program is $275 Contact 1-877-STFRANCIS www.stfranciscare.org UCONN Health Center Smoking Cessation 263 Farmington Avenue Farmington, CT 06032 860-679-3136 or 860-372-8418 Page 8 Page 13
Hartford Hospital Hospital Based Programs Smoke Free/Why Weight Program This program is for participants who want to quit smoking and maintain their weight. There is a $150 fee for this program. 860.545.3127 Six-week Smoking Cessation Group Patients are able to get free treatment as a group or through individual counseling sessions for six weeks. 860.545.3127. Three-Session Individual Counseling Option This option is for patients that want one-on-one treatment with experience cessation counselors. Registration is required for this program and there is a $125 fee for 3 sessions and $225 fee for 6 sessions. 860.545.3127 or stopsmoking@harthosp.org. Smoke Free for Life The Smoke Free for Life program s cessation counselors help in supporting participants to become smoke-free. The fee for this program is $150 and registration is required. 860.545.1888 or Toll Free 1-800-545-7664 Work Site Smoking Cessation Group This smoking cessation program is for employees of local businesses and corporations. 860.545.3127 VA CT Healthcare System Smoking Cessation Treatment Program The clinic is a four-session group, created and operated by Dr. J. Cooney, designed to prepare participants to quit smoking, manage the process of quitting, and avoid relapse. Groups usually meet on the first four Mondays of each month from 9:30-11:30am. Class 1: Introduction and Prepare to Quit Where patients meet with a doctor and receive smoking cessation medications and receive information on how to prepare to quit Class 2: Quit Date A quit date is set for a patient to no longer smoke and information on how to cope with the addiction to smoke is offered. Class 3: Relapse Prevention Identifies smoking triggers and coping strategies to deal with triggers. Class 4: Long Term maintenance Information is provided on maintaining abstinence. Judith L. Cooney, Ph.D. and Regina Gilbert, LPN VA CT Healthcare System 555 Willard Ave, Newington, CT 06111 860-594-6302 Page 12 Page 9
Behavioral Health Services Life Changes LLC Middletown, CT Smoking cessation counseling and treatment are available as individual or group sessions. The rates per session are $100 per individual 50 minute session and $30 per person for a 1 hour group session. Participants will work with a licensed professional counselor (LPC) and treat individuals based on their needs. Life Changes LLC, Andrew Degling 193 Main Street, Middletown CT 06457 860-944-1171 or email: andy@lifechangescounseling.com Middlesex Hospital Center for Chronic Care Management The Center for Chronic Care Management at Middlesex Hospital provides assistance to individuals and small groups dealing with smoking addiction. Middlesex Hospital offers a free smoking intervention program and has the following options for individualized participants: individual counseling, wide range of treatment options such as nicotine replacement therapy, relapse prevention support, follow-up care, education materials on staying smoke free, in-service training, in-school cessation programs, and group support programs. *Participants may be eligible only if their physician is affiliated with the hospital. The Center for Chronic Care Management at Middlesex Hospital 860-358-3003 or email: chronic_care@midhosp.org Page 10 Behavioral Health (continued) The following are Tobacco Use Cessation Services that target individuals with mental illness Hartford Behavioral Health Hartford, CT Healthy Living: An educational and motivation based group intervention helpful for smokers who have a duel diagnosis of mental health issues and nicotine dependence. It is an open enrollment with a 12 week duration cycle. It focuses on aspects of wellbeing, nutrition, physical activity, and stress management. Smoke Ender s: An action based group and individual treatment for smokers struggling with mental illness who are ready to quit smoking. It emphasizes techniques for quitting to improve success and reduce risk of relapse. It is a closed group (after third session) with a 8-10 week duration cycle for both group and individual sessions. Hartford Behavioral Health 1 Main St, Hartford, CT 06106 860-727-8703, www.hbh1.org Intercommunity Inc. Rushford Center 281 Main Street 883 Paddock Ave East Hartford, CT 06118 Meriden, CT 06450 860-690-1707 860-630-5280 Page 11