Full Citation

Title: The Effect of Insurance Expansions on Smoking Cessation Medication Use: Evidence from Recent Medicaid Expansions

Citation Type: Working Paper

Publication Year: 2017

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Abstract: We explore the early effects of recent Medicaid expansions on prescriptions and Medicaid payments for evidence-based smoking cessation medications: Zyban, Chantix, and Nicotrol. We estimate differences-in-differences models using data on the universe of prescription medications sold in retail and online pharmacies for which Medicaid was a third-party payer. Our findings suggest that expansions increased smoking cessation prescriptions by 36% and total payments for these medications by 28%. We provide evidence that these payments were financed by Medicaid programs and not patients. Overall our findings suggest that the recent Medicaid expansions allowed low-income smokers to access efficacious cessation medications.

Url: http://www.nber.org/papers/w23450

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Maclean, Johanna, C; Pesko, Michael, F; Hill, Steven, C

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Publication Number: 23450

Institution: NBER

Pages: 54

Publisher Location: Cambridge, MA

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Health

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