Quitting the habit sounds wonderful but is not an easy process for most of us who have the 'habit'. I've tried on my own several times and although I have managed to cut the number of cigarettes I smoke from a two pack a day habit to a half pack, sometimes less, I haven't been able to completely 'kick' the habit.

Having decided to look into programs I have have been checking into the various programs that offer 'quit' assistance. I have noted more than once that various plans state that those who participate in a stop smoking program seem to have a higher success rate if the program is combined with drug therapy.

Drugs prescribed for this purpose are expensive. The one time I got a prescription for the purpose of smoking cessation the cost for one months prescription was roughly about the amount I would spend for three and a half months smoking. In order to be effective the drug prescribed to me needed to be used regularly a minimum of from six months and possibly up to a year to see me completely free of the habit. It was not something covered by the prescription plan available with the insurance carrier I had at the time and I was unable to follow through with the drug therapy and failed yet again in my effort to quit smoking. There may have been cheaper drugs available but the one prescribed to me was the one my physician felt would work best for me.

The 'patches' and the 'gum' and various other substances designed for the purpose of 'helping' one quit also carry a somewhat sustantial price and from what I have read do not have as great a success rate as prescription medication. Although it is true that not spending money on cigarettes and spending it instead on these products makes sense, it also makes no sense to this person that the medical insurance policies I have personally had over the past few years, and there have been several different ones where I work, do not cover the cost of prescriptions for these products under their prescription programs.

Our company is yet again changing insurance companies and we were given literature on the coverage that will be provided to us. Browsing through this literature I once again noted that the new provider offers a quit assistance program and seems to promote this service rather heavily. The literature provided states in writing that a quit assistance program combined with drug therapy provides a higher rate of success than just using the quit assistance alone. A little farther into the information provided there is a list of services covered under their program and a list of excluded services as well. Oddly enough, smoking cessation drugs are excluded from coverage.

For this person it will be back to trying on my own but I continue to wonder why an insurance company would exclude coverage that would make their smoking cessation program more successful and would seemingly greatly benefit those who are serious about trying to stop smoking.

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