Beneficiary Advocates: Medicaid Smoking Surcharges Won't Help People Quit

Recent proposals in state Medicaid programs to require smokers to pay more than non-smokers may not reduce smoking rates but may cause people to lose coverage, anti-smoking groups and advocates for beneficiaries say. The policy, included in Indiana's newly approved Medicaid waiver and tucked into Wisconsin's waiver request, could soon by challenged by beneficiary advocates in court. Advocates cite data from tobacco surcharges imposed by private plans under the Affordable Care Act to support their argument that the policy may...