Smoking kills about 7,000 Oregonians every year, but now nearly everyone with private health insurance can get help to kick the habit.
In 2009, the Oregon Legislature passed Senate Bill 734 requiring private health insurers based in Oregon to offer a tobacco cessation benefit of at least $500. The benefit includes coverage of over-the-counter therapies, oral medicines and counseling.
The Helping Benefit Oregon Smokers (HBOS) consortium developed recommendations on the best benefit to help smokers quit for good. The recommendations offer guidelines for insurance plans, employers and employees on getting the most out of the cessation benefit.
Oregon’s health plans and health care organizations have taken the extra step of endorsing the HBOS benefit design recommendations. We are now working to establish a common standard of care in Oregon and ensure that every Oregonian who wants to quit will have the best chance to do so.
Join In
Plans, employers, health care purchasers, health care providers, employees and advocates can help make an Oregon standard of care a reality.
There are several ways you can join in.
• Read the HBOS Recommendations or the Recommendation Summary and compare your benefit.
• View a PowerPoint presentation to learn more about the recommendations.
• Compare your benefit using the HBOS “How Does Your Benefit Compare” Chart.
• Access an online calculator to help you estimate the return on investment for your organization.
• Help establish the recommendations as Oregon’s standard of care by becoming an endorser and using the recommendations for making benefit decisions.
• Advocate for the “$400 Million Solution” in discussions with health care leaders and decision-makers.
• To get started, click here to go to the join in page.