Nebraska Department of Insurance

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THE NEBRASKA HEALTH INSURANCE INFORMATION, COUNSELING, AND ASSISTANCE (NICA) PROGRAM

SEPTEMBER 2002 NICA NEWS

NEWS FLASH

CMS project includes Nebraska Medicare Beneficiaries

The NICA office received information after the newsletter was sent to print that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services is rolling out a new Medicare Stop Smoking Program (MSSP). The Medicare Stop Smoking Program is a research demonstration project conducted by CMS to test certain smoking cessation interventions among beneficiaries as a possible future Medicare benefit.

Beginning in October 2002 and for the next 12-months Medicare beneficiaries in 7 states who smoke cigarettes will be offered the opportunity to take advantage of smoking cessation services without cost to them, except for the usual Medicare co-payment. The target study states are Alabama, Florida, Ohio, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Wyoming. The MSSP recruitment campaign is attempting to attract as many as 43,500 Medicare beneficiary volunteers who smoke cigarettes.

In these study states, you may see newspaper advertisements and television and radio commercials promoting the Medicare Stop Smoking Program over the next 12 months. These recruitment ads ask potential participants to call our toll-free registration line, 1-866-65BEGIN, to see if they might be eligible to participate in the program. You may also see posters and brochures in a variety of places with a similar message. To be eligible a beneficiary must be 65 years old or older, be a current Medicare beneficiary under Part B and not covered under Medicare + Choice, live in one of the target states, and have an interest in quitting smoking.

Any other callers such as researchers, the press, or beneficiary family members are asked to call the Medicare Stop Smoking Program Office at 860-613-3685 for information. Fact sheets, Q&A's, etc. are in the clearance process and will be available shortly. The NICA office will pass along any new information we receive during our Update trainings this fall.