Yes. Medicare will pay for one initial evaluation and up to
eight counseling sessions in a 12-month period to help you quit smoking if you receive services from a qualified physician Medicare-certified provider and
- you are taking a prescription drug that interacts with tobacco; OR
- you have a disease or condition that is caused by smoking (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease or pneumonia).
For a list of diseases and conditions caused by smoking, click on the link to the Surgeon General’s Report on the Health Consequences of Smoking in the LINKS box.
You can receive counseling at the doctor’s office (including physicians, psychologists, and clinical social workers), clinic or outpatient department of a hospital. You can only receive counseling as an inpatient in a hospital if quitting smoking is not the primary reason for your hospitalization.
Medicare will also cover pharmacotherapy, for example, nicotine patches.
For both counseling and pharmacotherapy, Medicare will cover 80 percent of the Medicare-approved amount after you meet your annual Part B deductible.
For a list of the type of the types of providers Medicare will cover for outpatient mental health services, click on the link in the GO TO box.
Note: Medicare will not pay for hypnosis sessions to help you quit smoking.
