Halpin Helen Ann, McMenamin Sara B, Shade Starley B
Center for Health and Public Policy Studies, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2007 Dec;9(12):1269-76. doi: 10.1080/14622200701705621.
One solution for reducing tobacco use is to expand health insurance coverage for tobacco dependence treatments (TDTs), but the public demand for a coverage mandate is unknown. This study finds that demand for coverage of TDTs among a random sample of adult Californians with employer-sponsored health insurance is strong, with 62% indicating that health insurers should be required to offer coverage as part of their standard plans and a majority (56%) indicating a willingness to pay $3 more for their annual health insurance premium to finance cessation coverage. Compared to never smokers, current and former smokers are no more likely to support a benefit mandate to require coverage of cessation treatments, but the adjusted odds are approximately three times greater that current and former smokers are willing to pay $3 more toward their annual premium to finance cessation coverage. Liberals had higher adjusted odds of supporting a benefit mandate and of being willing to pay a higher premium compared to conservatives. Non-whites had higher adjusted odds of supporting a mandate compared to whites, with no differences by race/ethnicity in willingness to pay a higher premium. There were no differences in preferences for a benefit mandate or willingness to pay a higher premium as a function of age, gender or income. These findings have important policy implications for a state health insurance mandate to cover tobacco dependence treatments.
减少烟草使用的一个解决办法是扩大对烟草依赖治疗（TDTs）的医疗保险覆盖范围，但公众对覆盖要求的需求尚不清楚。本研究发现，在随机抽取的有雇主提供医疗保险的成年加利福尼亚人中，对TDTs覆盖的需求强烈，62%的人表示应要求健康保险公司将其作为标准计划的一部分提供保险，大多数人（56%）表示愿意每年多支付3美元的医疗保险费以资助戒烟保险。与从不吸烟者相比，目前和以前的吸烟者支持要求提供戒烟治疗保险福利要求的可能性并不更高，但调整后的几率约为目前和以前吸烟者愿意每年多支付3美元保费以资助戒烟保险的三倍。与保守派相比，自由派支持福利要求和愿意支付更高保费的调整后几率更高。与白人相比，非白人支持要求的调整后几率更高，在支付更高保费的意愿上，种族/族裔之间没有差异。在对福利要求的偏好或支付更高保费的意愿方面，年龄、性别或收入没有差异。这些发现对州医疗保险要求覆盖烟草依赖治疗具有重要的政策意义。
