By Ms. Kaprielian of Watertown, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2127) of Rachel Kaprielian and others for legislation to provide Medicaid coverage for smoking cessation treatment and information benefits.  Public Health.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Rachel Kaprielian

Timothy J. Toomey, Jr.

David Paul Linsky

Douglas W. Petersen

Denis E. Guyer

Kevin G. Honan

Bradford Hill

Barbara A. L'Italien

Paul J. Donato

John W. Scibak

Peter V. Kocot

Matthew C. Patrick

Martha M. Walz

Ruth B. Balser

Stephen Kulik

Louis L. Kafka

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

Elizabeth A. Malia

Jennifer M. Callahan

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act to provide medicaid coverage for smoking cessation.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.  Amend Chapter 58 Section 108 of the Acts of 2006 to read:

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the executive office of health and human services shall continue the program previously established for smoking and tobacco use cessation treatment, information, and education, including relevant promotional activities within its MassHealth–covered services.  Smoking and tobacco use cessation treatment and information benefits shall include nicotine replacement therapy, other evidence-based pharmacologic aids to quitting smoking and accompanying counseling by a physician, dentist, certified tobacco use cessation counselor or other qualified clinician.  The executive office shall report annually on the number of enrollees who participate in smoking cessation services, number of enrollees who quit smoking, and Medicaid expenditures tied to tobacco use by Medicaid enrollees.  The comptroller shall transfer not less than $7 million from the Health Care Security Trust, established by Section 1 of Chapter 29D of the General Laws, to the General Fund in each fiscal year to fund this program.