There has never been a better time to quit smoking.
All FEHB plans now offer 100% coverage to help you quit once and for all.
Beginning in plan year 2011, all FEHB plans must cover:
- Four tobacco cessation counseling sessions of at least 30 minutes for at least two quit attempts per year. This includes proactive telephone counseling, group counseling and individual counseling.
- All 7 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tobacco cessation medications with a doctor's prescription.
- These benefits must be provided with no copayments or coinsurance and not subject to deductibles, annual or life time dollar limits.
While FEHB plans currently cover smoking cessation treatment programs, these programs often include copayments, coinsurance and annual or lifetime coverage limits.
The benefit covers all forms of tobacco use, including cigarettes, snuff, and chewing tobacco.
Agencies will play an important role in ensuring that FEHB enrollees are fully aware and take full advantage of this newly available benefit option. Agencies should email the graphic available here 
[499 KB] to their employees. In addition, agencies can post print versions of this material in agency buildings, hand out information at Open Season fairs and work with agency work/life coordinators to get the word out. Any method you routinely use to communicate with your employees can be used to pass on this important information.
Studies show that tobacco cessation benefits are most effective when they are communicated on an on-going basis. We appreciate agencies working throughout the 2011 plan year to educate employees about the benefit.
The FDA-approved covered medications are:
- Bupropion SR
- Nicotine gum
- Nicotine inhaler
- Nicotine lozenge
- Nicotine nasal spray
- Nicotine patch
- Varenicline
Quitting tobacco use will result in both immediate and long-term health benefits for Federal employees. Smokers who quit greatly reduce their risk for disease and premature death, improve their health and quality of life, and increase their life expectancy. While health benefits are greater for smokers who stop at earlier ages, cessation is beneficial at all ages. Quitting smoking is the single most important action that smokers can take to protect their own and their families’ health. For pregnant women, quitting smoking greatly increases the chances that they will give birth to a healthy baby.
The new standard benefit was developed based on the Clinical Practice Guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence 2008 Update, published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service in May of 2008.
The benefit attempts to eliminate all cost and convenience restrictions that might pose a barrier to those who currently smoke and would like to stop. The benefit also takes into consideration research indicating that most smokers require multiple quit attempts to be successful.
As the largest employer-sponsored health insurance program in the nation, the FEHB Program has about 8 million covered lives. The Program covers 2.1 million federal employees, 1.9 million annuitants and 4 million dependents.
Based on 2009 data, an estimated 18% of federal employees smoke. Based on that data, an estimated 720,000 active employees and annuitants smoke.
This compares to 15.4 percent of state employees and 15.9 percent of local government employees who are smokers. Overall, Gallup reports that 21.3 percent of the U.S. populations surveyed are smokers.
The new benefit is expected to reduce the number of Federal employees, annuitants and family members who smoke, improve health and productivity and reduce health care costs.
Yes. Anyone covered under the FEHB Program can take advantage of the benefit. No matter what plan you choose for 2011, the plan will provide comprehensive coverage.
For more information on how to access the benefit employees should contact their health plan or consult their plan’s brochure.