It is a well-established fact: smoking leads to disease, disability, and harm in nearly every organ system. It has long been shown to cause cancer, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, increased risk of diabetes, increased risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms, and many other chronic health conditions.
Unfortunately, the prevalence of tobacco use increased during the COVID-19 pandemic1. Despite the increase, Medicare Fee-for-Service claims between 03/01/2021- 02/22/2022 show that tobacco cessation counseling occurred in less than 1% of provider encounters in the IPRO QIN-QIO region and data from cessation programs indicate that referrals were also down.
The Great American Smokeout on November 17 offers an opportunity to reconsider incorporating critical discussions and referrals into your process. The IPRO QIN-QIO Smoking Cessation: Compendium includes best practices, information on billing and coding for optimal service reimbursement, and links to additional resources for providers, patients, families, and care partners.
Working together we can help connect individuals with vital educational, social, and therapeutic resources for obtaining and sustaining a tobacco-free lifestyle.
1CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data (2018-2020)