We're sorry, something went wrong! Please refresh your browser and try again.
BATON ROUGE – Today is the Great American Smokeout, an annual event the American Cancer Society sponsors to encourage people to quit smoking and using tobacco products.
As part of its mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana offers access to programs and services that help members quit using tobacco.
Most Blue Cross plans cover at low or no cost certain products (like skin patches) or drugs that help members quit tobacco. To find out how these services are covered on your plan, log into your Blue Cross member account, or call Customer Service at the number on your member ID card.
Blue Cross’ in-house clinical team of nurses will work with members on a quitting journey to offer health coaching, set goals and share tools, tips and resources. Visit www.bcbsla.com/Stronger for more information on how to connect with a Blue Cross health coach or sign up for programs and services. There is no cost to members to work with a Blue Cross health coach.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, tobacco use is the top preventable cause of death, disease and disability in the country. Nationwide, nearly 40 million adults smoke, and nearly $170 billion is spent each year on healthcare for smoking-related disease. In 2015, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported more than 20 percent of Louisiana adults were smokers.
As an employer, Blue Cross has been a tobacco-free campus since 2007, and was designated a Living Well Louisiana well workplace in 2015 by the Louisiana Department of Health. This designation recognizes workplaces that are encouraging healthy lifestyles by, among other things, encouraging and supporting employees to quit using tobacco products.
For more information on programs and services, visit www.bcbsla.com.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. We invest both time and money in the communities we serve, supporting the health and wellbeing of Louisianians through more than 200 charitable organizations.
With our subsidiaries, HMO Louisiana and Southern National Life, we provide group and individual health insurance plans, life and disability insurance, group voluntary products and administrative services to one out of four Louisiana residents. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana also provides Medicare supplement and Medicare Advantage plans and is a partner in offering the Healthy Blue Medicaid Managed care plan. Louisiana is the only state where we operate, with offices in every major region to serve our customers.
Founded in New Orleans in 1934, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is a tax-paying non-profit health insurer. We are a private mutual company, owned by our policyholders, with an independent Louisiana Board of Directors and no shareholders. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
To learn more, visit our website at www.bcbsla.com.
