Mr. Jorge Goody Two Shoes. I bet you have some habits that WE would find disgusting!
Posted on 12/25/2004 10:37:36 AM PST by SheLion
WASHINGTON, Dec. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) intends to provide new coverage allowing certain Medicare beneficiaries who smoke to receive counseling services that will help them quit the habit.
"We're building on our efforts to help America's seniors help themselves to quit smoking and live longer," Secretary Thompson said. "This new benefit, focused on treating seniors' smoking related diseases, will go a long way toward reducing their risk of dying prematurely. The combination of lives lost, unnecessarily, and the cost of treating smoking-related diseases makes our investment in smoking cessation benefits all that more important. It's never too late to benefit from quitting smoking."
An estimated 9.3 percent of those age 65 and older smoke cigarettes. About 440,000 people die annually from smoking related disease, with 300,000 of those deaths in those 65 and older.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated in 2002 that 57 percent of smokers age 65 and over reported a desire to quit. Currently, about 10 percent of elderly smokers quit each year, with 1 percent relapsing.
"The evidence available fully supports the hope that seniors at risk of the diseases caused by smoking can quit, given the right assistance," CMS Administrator Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D. said. "As we add the 'Welcome to Medicare' exam and other preventive benefits and drug coverage, this is another step in using the medical evidence to turn Medicare into a prevention- oriented program."
The proposal to cover smoking cessation counseling comes in response to a June 2004 request from the Partnership for Prevention (PFP). The PFP requested CMS open a national coverage decision to consider coverage of tobacco cessation counseling as detailed in the HHS Public Health Service (PHS) 2000 Clinical Practice Guideline, Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence.
The guideline has been endorsed by many health care and professional organizations. Based on the evidence reflected in the guideline, CMS proposes to extend smoking cessation coverage to beneficiaries who smoke and have been diagnosed with a smoking related disease or are taking certain drugs whose metabolism is affected by tobacco use. This announcement builds on a series of HHS initiatives designed to help Americans quit smoking, including the opening of a new national quitline (1-800-QUITNOW) and designating all HHS campuses tobacco-free.
While many may think those who quit smoking at age 65 or older fail to reap the health benefits of abstinence from tobacco, the U.S. Surgeon General has reported that the benefits of cessation do extend to quitting at older ages. Smoking cessation in older adults leads to significant risk reduction and other health benefits, even in those who have smoked for years.
The coverage decision involves Medicare beneficiaries who have an illness caused or complicated by smoking, including heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, lung disease, weak bones, blood clots, and cataracts -- the diseases that account for the bulk of Medicare spending today. It also applies to beneficiaries who take any of the many medications whose effectiveness is complicated by smoking -- including insulins and medicines for high blood pressure, seizures, blood clots and depression.
"The best way to prevent the serious health problems caused by tobacco is never to start using it. Millions of our beneficiaries have smoked for many years, and are now experiencing the heart problems, lung problems, and many other often-fatal diseases that smoking can cause. It's really hard to quit, but we are going to do everything we can to help," said Dr. McClellan. "I especially want to urge smokers on Medicare who are just starting to experience heart problems or lung problems or high blood pressure to take advantage of this new help -- and more is coming."
Medicare's upcoming prescription drug benefit will cover smoking cessation treatments that are prescribed by a physician.
CMS Chief Medical Officer Sean Tunis, M.D., said, "Federal policy has acknowledged tobacco as the number one cause of preventable death for decades now, and CMS has taken the lead in implementing coverage policy for our seniors to deal directly with this critical health problem."
In 1993, smoking cost the Medicare program about $14.2 billion, or approximately 10 percent of Medicare's total budget. On average, nonsmokers survived 1.6 - 3.9 years longer than those who have never smoked.
The proposed new coverage policy is available for review at the CMS coverage Web site (http://www.cms.hhs.gov/coverage). The posting of this proposed coverage policy marks the beginning of a 30-day public comment period. After close of the comment period, CMS will have 60 days to review the comments and issue a final policy.
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
No, Annie isn't my kittie. LOL!
That cat is supposed to be me after too much egg nog. LOL! Glad you had a wonderful Christmas, Mears!!!
Mr. Jorge Goody Two Shoes. I bet you have some habits that WE would find disgusting!
One gets teary eyed to know that compassion without substance will always be available for those of us who require it. /sarcasm
I'm not the one deluding people into thinking smoking is a safe habit...
..when in fact there are thousands upon thousands of people dying and suffering terribly as we speak from the effects of smoking.
Anyone can find online photos of the diseased black lungs of smokers compared to pink healthy lungs to know that inhaling smoke from cigarettes day after day is a horrible self destructive habit.
I had to work again today and while doing a test flight I requested a 2 leg diversion in flight plan from MN to HI, however my request was turned down. ; (
No you aren't, your diversions are much more of a concern to individuals freedoms.
Your focus is your demise my friend.
I could care less what names you call me, or what you say about me with these infantile DU-like little animations making faces at me etc. How silly.
What bothers me is that people here could actually be fooled by your portraying smoking as a harmless benign habit...when in fact many thousands are dying from smoking as we speak.
Smoking is one thing. Telling people smoking is OK and harmless is another.
This is a much bigger mistake to make. I hope you will think about it.
Oh, By the way SheLion, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
But for crying out loud, hasn't the poster "jorge" already shown disgust via posting?
What bothers me is some people would actually be fooled into believing that the likes of YOU are an option to a change in personal decision!
No you aren't, your diversions are much more of a concern to individuals freedoms. Your focus is your demise my friend.
What are you talking about?
Nowhere in any of my post have I ever suggested inhibiting anyone's freedom to smoke.
Well if you ever find me preaching that disgusting self-destructive habits that kill people are OK on FR, then by all means feel free to criticize me.
No problem!
Thanks. Yes, I had a really nice Christmas. We [Dad, me and the little
woman] went to my cousins house for Christmas lunch and it was great.Great food and a great visit with family.
I hope you and yours had a good Christmas as well. :^)
Then, for crying out loud, what is your point of discussion in 3 words or less.
Your post has turned ME into a tiger!!!!
It's the attitude donchya know! : )
Jorge, those comparative photos are BS, they are actually from a man who died of black lung (hence the appearance). They were used over and over again, until people began to believe that smoking does that kind of damage.
There are people who died from heart disease or strokes attributed to their smoking, when it likely was the Vioxx that killed them. Whenever a smoker gets ANYTHING, it is claimed that there is a connection to the disease, whether such a connection exists in actuality or not. The amount of money given in grants to researchers, paid to come up with a foregone conclusion is staggering. The anti-smoking agenda has given literally MILLIONS to lawyers and the government, and to ad agencies.
But not one dime for lowering the cost of smoking cessation drugs, smoking cessation programs, nicotine substitutes--not one. The higher taxes have not paid for any research to cure lung cancer, have not paid for any experimental surgeries to alleviate emphysema, have not paid for any benefit to smokers AT ALL.
I smoke maybe 5 cigarettes a day, not always that much. My doctor said that's fine. In my family, people die old, and I have only ONE relative that died of cancer--my mother, ovarian cancer, age 44, non-smoker. Unless you can somehow prove that my dad's smoking caused her ovarian cancer and killed her -- and then back it up with some research -- I'm not going to pay much attention to politicized research that does nothing but line the pockets of social engineers, slanted medics, bloated shysters, and nanny-state do-gooders.
LOL...get a second opinion.
Then how come when I go for my annual physical, my lungs are clear?! And I started smoking when I was 16!!!
I bet you are under 30!
Me? DU? You sure haven't followed MY posts much, have you? Do you realize that at least 70% of Freepers smoke? I didn't think so.
What bothers me is that people here could actually be fooled by your portraying smoking as a harmless benign habit...when in fact many thousands are dying from smoking as we speak.
I NEVER said that smoking is harmless. Point out to me where I EVER said that smoking is harmless. You are delusional. There are so many 'habit's that will kill us that I can't even name them all here. But cigarettes ARE a legal commodity and as long as they are, I will continue to smoke. I don't drink. I don't do drugs. All I do is smoke. And you are trying to take that away from me. Do you wear brown shirts and jack boots as well?!
Smoking is one thing. Telling people smoking is OK and harmless is another.
This is a much bigger mistake to make. I hope you will think about it.
You can kiss my white patoot. I NEVER said that smoking isn't harmful. But it IS a legal habit that 55 million American's enjoy. So GET OVER IT! The world does not rotate on your butt!
Jorge is TOTALLY disgusting. His narrow minded vision is a bit much. He has been registered with FR since 2000. Funny he never came into the Smoker's Lounge in Free Republic. Or maybe he did and got trashed so bad he never went back. heh!
My mother smoked from age 19 to 67 but quit because she developed pain in her lungs. One day, when she had a cold, she happily informed me that when she was smoking the mucus she blew out of her nose was black but after she quit it was white!
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