Medicare: A Prevention Plan that Could Lower Costs

Medicare finally leveled a pre-emptive strike against smoking and agreed to pay for counseling for senior smokers who are not yet sick. People usually smoke for decades before they get cancer, emphysema, heart disease and other smoking-related disorders — just in time for Medicare to pick up the tab. But CMS noted that even older smokers who quit can see fairly quick payback in terms of reduced illness.  [Read article]