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In California, more than 41,000 deaths related to smoking occur every year. While the state has made great progress in discouraging smoking as a behavior and reducing its acceptability, the most challenging work lies ahead — providing effective cessation services to help current smokers successfully quit. Studies have shown that effective cessation interventions can occur at relatively low costs compared to other health care interventions. Given that seventy percent of smokers visit a health care provider at least once a year, it’s clear that a smoker’s contact with the health care system offers a unique opportunity to provide effective cessation interventions. To address this need, the Alliance has embarked on a managed care initiative to implement national research-based tobacco treatment guidelines statewide. The Alliance convened a Managed Care Working Group in November of 1998 to adapt the United States Public Health Services guidelines to California’s managed care environment. The Working Group is comprised of representatives of California’s largest MCOs, health care provider associations, health care purchasers and tobacco control advocacy organizations. Through this Working Group, the Alliance engages the major parties with the power to change health benefits coverage and health care delivery in California.
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