Tobacco Education and Training
Tobacco Trainings for Louisiana Providers
Healthcare professionals are uniquely positioned to be at the forefront of tobacco cessation in our communities. Since tobacco use is the leading cause of many deadly diseases, you understand the importance of living tobacco-free. Well-Ahead Louisiana offers education, training and resources to better equip you and your team to help patients geaux tobacco-free!
Help your patients begin their tobacco quit journey by making tobacco screening and referring a standard of care. Our trainings teach you strategies to approach patients about tobacco cessation—including vaping devices—and connect them to resources available to help them quit for good.
Brief Tobacco Intervention Training
Need assistance talking to your patients about their tobacco usage? The Brief Tobacco Intervention (BTI) Training will teach you effective ways to approach your patients and provide assistance for quitting tobacco. All healthcare professionals are eligible to participate in the training, and medical doctors, physician assistants and nurses of all types will receive CME credit upon completing the training.
Connect2Quit Training
The Connect2Quit Training helps you provide an easy and seamless Quit With Us, Louisiana referral avenue to patients who are ready to quit tobacco. All healthcare professionals are eligible to participate in the training. With your certification, you can refer patients directly to Quit With Us, Louisiana to begin cessation services — eliminating the need for patients to call.
E-Cigarette Online Training
Vaping is the new youth epidemic in our country, and healthcare providers have a role to play in talking with their patients about e-cigarette use. In this training, providers will learn about the prevalence of electronic vaping devices among Louisiana youth and how to screen, treat and respond specifically to youth e-cigarette use. Participants will receive one hour of CME credits on completion.
Learn More in the Provider Education Network
Our Provider Education Network connects you to many educational opportunities, including tobacco-related information, conducted through monthly webinars. All healthcare professionals can join the Network by signing up here.
Past Webinars
Tobacco Cessation: Integrating Tobacco Cessation Interventions into Daily Practices
Connect Patients to Tobacco Cessation Resources
Quit With Us, Louisiana is a resource all residents in our state can use to support their journey to a tobacco-free life. Quit With Us, Louisiana connects residents to cessation counseling, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT), and online and community resources.
Quit With Us, Louisiana offers free counseling through interactive phone calls, web chat or text that are easy to access—even on nights and weekends. Participants receive five free personal coaching sessions to prepare them for living tobacco-free. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, text “READY” to 34191 or visit Quit With Us, Louisiana to get started.
This free service is available in English, Spanish and 150 other languages to people calling from anywhere in Louisiana. Teletypewriter (TTY) and telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) accommodations for hearing impaired and deaf individuals are also available at 1-866-228-4327.
Promote Quit With Us, Louisiana in your healthcare facility with these materials!
Medicaid Tobacco Cessation Benefit
Effective on July 1, 2023, Louisiana Medicaid has expanded coverage to offer comprehensive tobacco cessation services to ALL Medicaid beneficiaries across Louisiana. As a result, you now have access to additional quit services needed to help you quit tobacco use for good.
Your Medicaid health plan covers the following tobacco cessation benefit:
- 2 quit attempts per year, consisting of:
- Counseling:
- Digital, individual, and group quit support counseling sessions lasting at least 10 minutes each per session.
- Duration: 4 sessions per quit attempt; 8 sessions total per year
- Medication:
- All 7 FDA approved Nicotine Replacement Therapy medications: patch, gum, nasal spray, inhaler, lozenge, Bupropion, Varenicline.
- Duration: 90 days per quit attempt; 180 days total per year
- Eliminates or minimizes barriers to accessing treatments by reducing out of pocket costs.
- No co-payments or prior authorization for covered services
- Counseling:
Duration limits may be exceeded if deemed medically necessary by a physician or other licensed practitioner
Attention healthcare providers! Download the Medicaid Billing and Reimbursement Guidance Document to successfully bill and receive reimbursement for tobacco cessation treatment services rendered to your Medicaid patients.