Your Medicare Coverage
Is my test, item, or service covered?
Smoking & tobacco use cessation (counseling to stop smoking or using tobacco products)
How often is it covered?
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers up to 8 face-to-face visits during a 12-month period. These visits must be provided by a qualified doctor or other Medicare-recognized practitioner.
Who's eligible?
All people with Medicare who use tobacco are covered.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and the Part B deductible applies if you use tobacco and you're diagnosed with an illness caused or complicated by tobacco use, or you take a medicine that’s affected by tobacco. In a hospital outpatient setting, you also pay the hospital a copayment.
If you haven't been diagnosed with an illness caused or complicated by tobacco use, you pay nothing for the counseling sessions if the doctor or other health care provider accepts assignment.
Related resources
- National Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitline: Call 1-800-QUITNOW (1-800-784-8669). TTY users call 1-800-332-8615.
- CDC information on smoking & tobacco use
- NCI's tobacco & cancer information resources
- Smokefree.gov
- National Institutes of Health
- American Lung Association—Tobacco Control Advocacy
Share the news. Share the health!
Tell your friends and family with Medicare about the difference these benefits can make.