HMOs get to work on new anti-smoking campaigns following ministry decision

Israel's four health maintenance organizations have begun preparing quit-smoking workshops following last week's decision to include anti-smoking treatment in the health services basket. This includes expanding workshop availability to the entire country and increasing the success rate, which today stands at 45 to 60 percent rehabilitated patients.

Today, only some of the HMOs operate quit-smoking workshops for members paying extended insurance fees. The participants pay a reduced fee and have to cover the medication costs, between NIS 300 and NIS 600 per month for two to three months. Patients with extended insurance receive up to 50 percent discount on the medications.

Last week, the committee deciding on the healthcare basket approved a joint proposal by the Maccabi and Kupat Holim Clalit HMOs to subsidize Zyban and Champix detoxification drugs, along with support workshops. The proposition was not endorsed by the committee as the HMOs refused to offer free workshops to accompany the medical treatment. This year the HMOs made no objections.

The committee's decision commits all four major HMOs to begin operating the workshops across the country in early 2010. The workshops will have to include at least six sessions. They would also provide participants with anti-smoking medications, which will be 85% subsidized. Health ministry officials said they believed some 6,000 participants will sign up for the workshops every year, and have allocated the HMOs some NIS 6.18 million from the extended healthcare basket budget.

Clalit aims to open workshops in 38 towns and cities countrywide, and has begun training new facilitators. Clalit will be putting a particular emphasis on briefing professionals treating pregnant women, to encourage their patients to stop smoking before and throughout the pregnancy. Maccabi has recently completed training 140 facilitators, and has begun training facilitators for workshops for military personnel.

The Meuhedet HMO is preparing to increase the coverage of its workshops, available today in 25 clinics. Leumit has also begun preparing workshops to be offered throughout the country.

Despite already ongoing campaigns, anti-smoking legislation and rising prices, a report in May indicated that 32.3 percent of Israeli men and 16.6 percent of Israeli women smoke.