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• New Medicare Pilot Program To Help Seniors Stop Smoking 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Thursday announced a seven-state pilot program to study the best way to help older Medicare beneficiaries stop smoking.

"With this study we can learn what works best for seniors who want to quit smoking, and we can develop approaches that help seniors help themselves," said CMS Administrator Tom Scully.

The Medicare Stop Smoking Program will be conducted in Alabama, Florida, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wyoming. These states were picked because of various factors, including the prevalence of older smokers there.

Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in the study will receive free smoking cessation therapy, which may range from physician counseling to drugs to help them quit. As a preventive measure, smoking cessation therapy normally isn't covered by Medicare. But it will be covered for those who enroll in the study.

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