WASHINGTON — They have lived with the health warnings about smoking for much of their lives and doubtless seen the ill effects on friends, relatives and even themselves, yet about 4.5 million older people in the U.S. keep on lighting up.
Medicare is finally catching up to most private insurers by providing counseling for anyone on the program who is trying to kick the habit.
Dr. Barry Straube, Medicare’s chief medical officer, says it is never too late to quit, even for lifelong smokers.
“The elderly can respond to smoking cessation counseling even if they have been smoking for 30 years or more,” Straube said. “We do know we can see a reduction in the death rate and complications from smoking-related illnesses” — not only cancer, heart disease and lung problems, which can kill, but also gastric reflux, osteoporosis and other ailments that undermine quality of life.
Smoking-related illnesses cost Medicare tens of billions a year. Straube cites a two-decade estimate of $800 billion, from 1995 through 2015.
Medicare already covers drugs used to help smokers quit, as well as counseling for those who have developed a smoking-related illness. But starting immediately, the program will expand the benefit to cover up to eight counseling sessions a year.
Next year, such counseling will be free under a provision in President Barack Obama’s health care law that eliminates co-payments for preventive services.
Older smokers often don’t get as much attention from doctors as do younger ones.
“They just figure, ‘Well, it’s too late,’ ” said Straube, that the damage is done. That might start to change now.
Older smokers who receive counseling are significantly more likely to quit than those who get only standard medical care. One study of elderly heart-attack patients found that those who got counseling to help quit smoking were more likely to be alive five years later.
Numbers
1 in 10 Seniors who smoke, compared with 1 in 5 among the U.S. population as a whole
$800 billion Amount Medicare is expected to spend on smoking-related illnesses from 1995 through 2015
