Ending the Tobacco Epidemic: A Tobacco Control Strategic Action Plan for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

摘要

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law historic health insurance reform legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Affordable Care Act). As noted by Secretary Sebelius in testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives on April 21, 2010, the law creates a new Prevention and Public Health Fund that will provide a significant investment to allow HHS to expand and sustain prevention, wellness, and public health programs to improve the health of the nation and help restrain health care costs. The law also specifically expands smoking cessation coverage now for pregnant Medicaid beneficiaries and enhances prevention initiatives in 2013 by offering financial incentives to States to provide optional services that encourage healthy behaviors by Medicaid beneficiaries. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can leverage this historic moment to launch a new chapter to end tobacco-related suffering and death. This strategic action plan proposes a comprehensive approach designed to mobilize HHSs expertise and resources in support of proven, pragmatic, achievable interventions that can be aggressively implemented not only at the federal level, but also within states and communities. The activities described in the plan are meant to serve as a guideline for future development, are conditional, and are subject to the availability of resources.