National Working Group for ACTTION

(Access to Coverage of Tobacco Treatment In Our Nation)

Partnership for Prevention

Shaping Policies | Improving Health

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  4. Why is Access to Comprehensive Treatment Important?

Why is Access to Comprehensive Treatment Important?

Businesses/Employers – Encouraging employees (and their dependents) to quit smoking/using tobacco results in more productive employees and lowers healthcare costs over time. This prudent, forward-looking investment in tough economic times has both short- and long-term benefits.

Public Health/Tobacco Control – Tobacco use is the number-one cause of preventable death and disease in the United States – we cannot have a healthy population until we dramatically reduce tobacco use in this country.

Insurers/Health Plans – Employers are interested in prevention to improve the health of employees and to reduce their healthcare costs and improve productivity. Providing comprehensive benefits to help people quit using tobacco reduces healthcare costs and can be used as a marketplace differentiator among competing health plans in attracting new customers and retaining existing customers.

Policymakers – At a time of record budget deficits and economic uncertainty, helping more tobacco users quit is a critical investment of taxpayer funded healthcare programs and services. Access to preventive services, like tobacco cessation treatments, that are proven to work and save money need to be viewed as foundational elements of any efforts at health reform.

In The News RSS

  1. Mar 16, 2010
    Smokers Who Quit See Improved Artery Health Within Year, UW Study Shows
    Read the full story
  2. Mar 08, 2010
    No Smoking Day
    Read the full story
  3. Mar 04, 2010
    Utah Increases Tobacco Tax by $1
    Read the full story
  4. Mar 04, 2010
    Free Blackberry Helps You Quit Smoking
    Read the full story

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Key Dates RSS

  1. April 27-28, 2010: Promising Practices: Achieving Health and Social Equity in Tobacco Control
  2. April 5-11, 2010: National Public Health Week
  3. March 24-24, 2010: Kick Butts Day
  4. March 6-8, 2010: 13th Annual Health Education Advocacy Summit

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