Smoking Cessation Resources

Help is available for your patients who want to quit smoking.

New York State Smoker's Quitline

The New York State Department of Health runs a toll-free quit line (1-866-NY-QUITS [1-866-697-8487] or 311 for N.Y.C. residents) that offers two telephonic counseling sessions. If the individual is eligible for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), a two-week supply of nicotine patches is mailed out promptly. For eligible Medicaid and uninsured patients, up to a six-week supply of NRT and up to four telephonic cessation counseling sessions are available. Progress reports regarding tobacco use are faxed to the patient's health care practitioner. The Quitline provides access to information about local smoking cessation programs offered through community-based organizations.

Patients who are ready to quit can call the Quitline or complete the Fax-to-Quit referral form with their practitioner. The practitioner faxes the completed form to the N.Y.S. Smoker's Quitline, and the patient will get a call back. Click the "Fax-to-Quit Referral Form" link below to download a referral form, or visit www.nysmokefree.com.

Tobacco-Free Living: Just a Fax Away

Fax-to-Quit At a Glance

Do's and Don'ts

Fax-to-Quit Referral Form

Fax-to-Quit Referral Form in Spanish

Quit For Life^TM

HIP has partnered with Free & Clear, Inc. to provide a comprehensive smoking cessation program free of charge to HIP members. The self-help program is called Quit For Life^TM and it provides those who want to stop smoking with educational quit guides and support calls from a smoking cessation specialist for one year.

The program provides:

• Comprehensive educational quit smoking guides by mail.
• Support phone calls from professional smoking cessation counselors.
• Unlimited telephonic access to professional counselors.
• Reports to primary care providers of member participation in or withdrawal from the program.
• Full coverage for the nicotine patch, bupropion (generic Zyban^®) and Chantix^TM. (During the year of enrollment, program participants are eligible for a total of 24 weeks of treatment for these products.)
• Program is available in English, Spanish and Chinese.

To enroll, HIP members may contact the Quit For Life^TM program directly by calling: 1-866-QUIT-4-LIFE (1-866-784-8454). Program hours of operation are Monday through Sunday, from 8 am to12 midnight, Eastern time.

For more details on the Free & Clear smoking cessation program click here.

In order to minimize confusion in referring patients for smoking cessation, we ask that you refer all of your patients who want to quit smoking to the New York State Smokers'Quitline. The state program, based at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY, is available at no cost to your patients who reside in New York State and it offers HIP members the opportunity to take advantage of the Quit For Life^TM smoking cessation program.