OTC smoking cessation therapy Medicaid coverage required in latest Senate tobacco bill.
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
OTC SMOKING CESSATION THERAPIES MEDICAID REQUIRED COVERAGE included in the latest version of S 1415, the National Tobacco Policy and Youth Smoking Reduction Act, brought to the Senate floor May 18. Under the manager's amendment, the bill would amend section 1927(d) of the Public Health Service Act, which allows states to exclude OTCs from Medicaid coverage, so that states may exclude all OTC drugs "except agents, approved by the Food and Drug Administration, when used to promote smoking cessation." States also would be required to cover Rx smoking cessation products. The Senate was scheduled to resume consideration of the legislation when it returned from recess June 1.