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Medicaid-Insured Client Characteristics and Quit Outcomes at the Arizona Smokers’ Helpline

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Abstract

Medicaid-insured individuals who smoke experience disparities in quitting and are a priority population for assistance. This retrospective cohort study of Arizona Smokers’ Helpline clients (Jan 2014–Mar 2019) examined the association between insurance status, treatment, and smoking cessation. When compared to clients with non-Medicaid insurance or no insurance, clients with Medicaid (26%) were more likely to be female, referred directly to the ASHLine by a healthcare or community partner, smoke in the home, and report having a mental health condition. They also were less likely to utilize cessation medication and reported receiving less social support to quit. Controlling for these and other theoretically relevant variables, insurance status was stratified (Medicaid, non-Medicaid, and uninsured), and quit outcomes were compared by level of treatment (4 treatment groups: more and less than 3 coaching sessions and cessation medication use yes/no). Compared to clients who received 3+ coaching sessions, those who had less than 3 coaching sessions had significantly lower adjusted odds of quitting. Results were similar regardless of cessation medication use or insurance status. There is no indication that treatment effects differ by insurance status. While insurance status appears to proxy for other important factors like low social and economic status and higher comorbidity prevalence, in a quitline setting, quitting is associated with additional, high-quality coaching. Where coaching sessions may offset social and economic barriers to quitting, quitlines may consider focusing on assisting Medicaid-insured clients to connect and engage with treatment.

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Funding

This research was supported by Arizona Department of Health Services Grants ADHS11-007339, ADHS16-106672, and ADHS13-026130:5. Services and products in support of the research project were generated by the University of Arizona Cancer Center Behavioral Measurement and Interventions Shared Resource, supported, in part, with funding from NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant P30 CA023074. This research was supported by Arizona Department of Health Services and Arizona Smokers’ Helpline. The University of Arizona’s Institutional Review Board reviewed the study protocol and deemed it exempt. All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Community, Environment and Policy, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave., P.O. Box 245210, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA

    Benjamin R. Brady DrPH

  2. Arizona Center for Tobacco Cessation in the Department of Health Promotion Science, Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Patrick A. O’Connor MS, Mark P. Martz PhD & Taylor Grogg MPH

  3. Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Uma S. Nair PhD

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  1. Benjamin R. Brady DrPH
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Correspondence to Benjamin R. Brady DrPH.

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Brady, B.R., O’Connor, P.A., Martz, M.P. et al. Medicaid-Insured Client Characteristics and Quit Outcomes at the Arizona Smokers’ Helpline. J Behav Health Serv Res 49, 61–75 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-021-09756-2

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