New York state has announced further action to address the growing threat of e-cigarette use, with measures to combat the increasing number of vaping-related illnesses. As part of these efforts, the Department of Financial Services issued guidance Friday advising New York insurers that they must cover the costs associated with most vaping cessation — without co-pays, coinsurance, and deductibles – using the same treatments recommended for smoking cessation.
As of December 3, almost 2,300 cases of e-cigarette-associated lung injury had been reported to the Centers for Disease Control from 50 states, and 48 deaths have been confirmed in 25 states, including here in New York, where a second death due to a vaping-associated illness was reported on November 20.
– By Michael Baldwin
