ALBANY, NY – New York insurers must cover the cost of quitting electronic cigarettes the same way they cover smoking cessation, without charging co-pays, coinsurance or deductibles, the state announced.

The state Department of Financial Services said people who use e-cigarettes, or “vape,” may become addicted because the devices contain nicotine. Insurers must provide coverage for vaping cessation treatments that use the same methods recommended for smoking cessation, the department said. The methods include screening, FDA-approved medications for adults and behavioral interventions for school children and adolescents.

“E-cigarette use has exploded in recent years and many of the people who want to quit are now having trouble because vaping is more addicting than previously thought,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a prepared statement.

More than 2,290 cases of e-cigarette-associated lung injury and 48 deaths – including two in New York -- had been reported nationwide as of Dec. 3.

Man in his 30s becomes New York’s second vaping death

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