I was just looking at November SAG-AFTRA Health Plan Newsletter and there was an article about the free Quit for Life Program www.quitnow.net. I wanted to learn more specifically about the NRT's they offer, because many on here have inquired as to how to get free NRTs. Thought I would just pass on what I was told when I called them.
The program is offered in 26 states only. First, you must join/enroll in the Counselling Service/program to receive free NRTs. You are assigned a quit coach and will have a phone conversation with them once every other week for several months. They also do check-back/follow up emails at 3, 6, 9 month and at one-year. Can't imagine how talking with a counselor ever OTHER week can help a whole lot. (Though the literature states: "you can call their toll free support line and talk to a quit coach 24/7.") Heck, just hang out here in the EX support community. You'll be able to communicate with a whole bunch of quit coaches 24/7. And these people have actually gone through the process themselves unlike many "accredited" quit coaches.
The NRT that you receive and the (amount) length of time they are provided varies from state to state. For example in TN they offer two weeks of patches. In Mississippi it's the gum. If you're receiving medicaid, that also can change your qualification status.
I asked if they had an on-line support community and was told they did not. Which is a real pity. In my experience a support group can make all the difference between a successful quit and a failure. People who just go to that site, for example, and have never been introduced to EX are at a distinct disadvantage. (Although having since read the literature, it states: "You'll get access to a private, online community where you can...... join in discussions with others in the program." So I'm not sure which is really true. The literature also says they have 25,000 active members. Would be interesting to know how many active members EX has in comparison and what quantifiers are used to determine "active" status by both sites.: i.e. how many times a week/month/year does one have to sign in to the site to be considered such.)
This support community (to my mind) is the best support community out there. And the site has the affiliation with the Mayo Clinic which ain't too shabby! The Quit for Life program is a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and Optum. (Optum seems to be a health management company employed by corporations to try to lessen health care costs, from what I can gather.) Interestingly they say: "Participants who have not used tobacco in the last 30 days are considered to have quit." Which no doubt ups their statistical success rates. As most of us with experienced long-term quits know - 30 days does not a quit make.
Anyway, just wanted to pass on what I learned today. A long-term quitter is an actively engaged quitter.
