Medicare to Expand Access to Tobacco Cessation Counseling

OPEN MINDS Weekly News Wire Strategic Health Care News On August 25, 2010, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare had expanded coverage for tobacco cessation to all beneficiaries who use tobacco. The coverage went into effect immediately. Previously, Medicare covered tobacco cessation treatment and counseling only for beneficiaries diagnosed with a tobacco-related condition. Under the new policy, Medicare will cover up to two rounds of tobacco cessation counseling annually. Each round can include up to four individual intermediate or intensive sessions. A CMS spokesperson provided additional information about payment rates and codes for . . .