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NOTES <br />1. Berman M., et al. “Estimating the Cost of a Smoking Employee,” Tobacco Control 23 (2014), 428–433. <br />http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2012-050888 <br />2. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. “Typical Monthly Electric Bill for Medium Size Businesses, 2015.” <br />https://mn.gov/deed/data/data-tools/compare-mn/energy/electric.jsp <br />3. LAC Group. “Average Office Supply Costs per Employee.” https://lac-group.com/average-office-supply-costs-per-employee/ <br />4. McCarthy, Shawn P. “‘Per Employee’ IT Spending: Federal Government Is Nearly Four Times the Industry Average,” IDC Community, 8/17/16 <br />https://idc-community.com/government/smart_government/per_employee_it_spending_federal_government_is_nearly_four_times_the <br />5. Training Magazine. “2016 Training Industry Report.” https://trainingmag.com/sites/default/files/images/Training_Industry_Report_2016.pdf <br />* Under the Affordable Care Act, most plans must treat tobacco <br />cessation as a preventive service. That does not include <br />grandfathered health plans, such as certain plans that were in <br />existence before March 2010 and have not made significant <br />changes since. (American Lung Association website, lung.org/ <br />our-initiatives/tobacco/cessation-and-prevention/tobacco- <br />cessation-treatment-what-is-covered.html) <br /># Additionally, many Minnesota health plans, including Blue Cross <br />and Blue Shield of Minnesota, offer telephonic tobacco-cessation <br />coaching as a separate program outside of preventive health <br />benefits. Those without health plan coverage can also get help <br />quitting tobacco through QUITPLAN® Services (quitplan.com). <br />Tobacco in this document refers specifically to the use <br />of manufactured, commercial tobacco products and not <br />to the sacred, medicinal and traditional use of tobacco by <br />American Indians and other groups. <br />Blue Cross® and Blue Shield® of Minnesota and Blue Plus® are nonprofit independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. <br />ADDING UP THE NUMBERS <br />In total, nearly $7.5 billion in excess health care costs <br />and lost productivity cost can be attributed to smoking <br />on an annual basis. This is an alarming figure. It highlights <br />the urgency of the efforts to continue driving down <br />Minnesota’s smoking rate. It also represents a call to action <br />to employers, government agencies and all Minnesotans. <br />WHAT YOU CAN DO <br />➜➜Support policies that reduce commercial tobacco <br />use. Consider including policies such as keeping tobacco <br />prices high or requesting more tobacco prevention <br />funding in your state policy agenda. <br />➜➜Talk to people in your community. Find out what your <br />neighbors and fellow community members know about <br />the burdens smoking puts on our state. <br />➜➜Encourage your employees who smoke to quit. <br />Smoking cessation is often covered as a preventive <br />benefit in employer-sponsored health plans. This means it <br />is available at no additional cost to your employees, other <br />than the premium they are already paying.*# <br />X21749 (04/17) <br />Together, we can make <br />a difference in reducing <br />the burden smoking puts <br />on your bottom line and <br />our state.