Medical Assistance With Smoking and Tobacco Use Cessation (MSC)

The three components of this survey measure assess different facets of providing medical assistance with smoking and tobacco use cessation.

  • Advising Smokers and Tobacco Users to Quit: Adults 18 years of age and older who are current smokers or tobacco users and who received cessation advice during the measurement year.
  • Discussing Cessation Medications: Adults 18 years of age and older who are current smokers or tobacco users and who discussed or were recommended cessation medications during the measurement year.
  • Discussing Cessation Strategies: Adults 18 years of age and older who are current smokers or tobacco users who discussed or were provided cessation methods or strategies during the measurement year.

Why This Matters

Smoking and tobacco use are the largest causes of preventable disease and death in the United States. Tobacco use causes disease in nearly every organ in the body.1 Quitting smoking and tobacco use can save lives and improve overall health. Comprehensive cessation interventions that motivate and help users to quit tobacco use can be very effective.2 Health care providers also play an important role in supporting tobacco users and their efforts to quit.

Results – National Averages

Advising Smokers and Tobacco Users to Quit

Measure YearCommercial HMOCommercial PPOMedicaid HMOMedicare HMOMedicare PPO
202272.8
202179.872.5
202079.574.8
201974.967.077.2§§
201877.870.176.786.583.2
201775.972.57786.284.5
201675.172.376.285.683.8
201575.972.175.9
20147770.875.885.784.8
201377.370.975.884.682.4
201277.870.875.681.280.4
201177.672.474.681.579.3
201076.771.773.677.9783
200977.975.2
200876.771.669.376.976.5
200775.87169.475.875.4
200673.870.168.276.177.3
200571.266.965.675.577.3
200469.666.764.7
200368.665.862.9
200267.763.961.6
200165.763.960.9
200066.3

Discussing Cessation Strategies

Measure YearCommercial HMOCommercial PPOMedicaid HMO
202245.4
202155.645.3
202053.648.0
201948.039.448.7
201848.942.946.4
201745.742.445.4
201642.940.444.1
201545.839.243.3
20144737.642.5
201346.537.541.9
201247.937.341.1
201147.640.140.3
2010453938.5
200849.743.340.8
20074844.239.2
200643.242.636.7
200538.935.133.9
200436.832.7
20033632.3

Discussing Cessation Medications

Measure YearCommercial HMOCommercial PPOMedicaid HMO
202251.2
20216050.8
202056.753.1
201950.744.454.5
201855.548.752.9
201752.547.551.5
201648.144.649.5
201550.344.848.1
201451.843.746.8
201351.744.146.6
201252.944.645.8
201153.147.944.3
201052.447.242.7
200854.450.940.6
200750.949.638.7
200643.943.835.1
200539.436.731.8
200437.831.3
200337.631.5

§ Not available due to CMS suspension of data reporting during COVID-19 pandemic.

This State of Healthcare Quality Report classifies health plans differently than NCQA’s Quality Compass. HMO corresponds to All LOBs (excluding PPO and EPO) within Quality Compass. PPO corresponds to PPO and EPO within Quality Compass.

Figures do not account for changes in the underlying measure that could break trending. Contact Information Products via my.ncqa.org for analysis that accounts for trend breaks.

References

  1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 2014. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General.” Atlanta, GA. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/full-report.pdf
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2014. “Best practices for comprehensive tobacco control programs—2014.” Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/stateandcommunity/best_practices/pdfs/2014/comprehensive.pdf

  • Save

    Save your favorite pages and receive notifications whenever they’re updated.

    You will be prompted to log in to your NCQA account.

  • Email

    Share this page with a friend or colleague by Email.

    We do not share your information with third parties.

  • Print

    Print this page.