Participants will be recruited on a rolling basis over the life of the program. HCFA will evaluate and publish the preliminary results in 2003. The smoking cessation demonstration announced today was prompted by research sponsored jointly by HCFA and the U.S. Public Health Service, which produced scientific evidence that counseling and Food and Drug Administration-approved smoking cessation drugs are effective in encouraging older smokers to quit. Smoking accounts for more than 430,000 deaths every year in the United States. More than 70 percent of these deaths occur in people age 65 and older, who suffer the most from smoking's harmful effects.
Smoking often leads to disability and poor quality of life.
It either causes or contributes to a number of chronic illnesses, including cancer, heart and lung diseases, diabetes and osteoporosis. Recent smoking cessation efforts have targeted younger populations, yet research shows that older smokers are more likely to be successful in quitting than younger adults and reap many benefits from quitting. These benefits include reducing the risk of heart attack, cancer and stroke, improving circulation and breathing, and better overall physical functioning. Within five years, many ex-smokers have about the same risk for heart disease and stroke as persons who never smoked. Smoking cessation is a special concern for Medicare because more smokers will be entering the program in coming years.