Trends in Quitline Funding, 2009-2012: Implications for Cessation Services

Audience: Tobacco Control Program staff, federal quitline funders, national partners, health plans, Medicaid staff, and others stakeholders who influence quitline funding.

Key Points: Data from the FY2009, FY2010, and FY2011 North American Quitline Consortium (NAQC) Annual Surveys of Quitlines were analyzed. Data from the 35 U.S. quitlines that reported both total quitline budget and total tobacco control program (TCP) budget for FY2009 – FY2012 were included in the analysis. Total quitline budgets fell from FY2009 to FY2010, stabilized in FY2011, and fell again in FY2012 while TCP budgets fell consistently over the four year period.

Quitline budgets represented 18% of TCP budgets in FY2009 and FY2010, but had increased to 28% of TCP budgets by FY2012. At the same time, the proportion of quitline budgets coming from federal sources (including ARRA stimulus funding) doubled (9% in FY2009, 18% in FY2012).

This suggests that while states have managed to protect quitline funding in the face of cuts to other areas of tobacco control program budgets, quitlines’ reliance on federal funding has grown over time.

Educational Experience: As the availability of stimulus funding for quitlines ends, it is unclear whether states will be able to continue to protect quitline funding. To do so, strategies for sustainability of quitlines, including partnering with state Medicaid offices to obtain the 50% federal match for quitline services, and development of public-private partnerships, will be critical. NAQC is currently focusing on both of these strategies.

Benefits: Participants will discuss how quitline funding may impact cessation policy and infrastructure.