Lance's Corner

CDC Issues Report on Adult Tobacco Use

Mar 6, 2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a report on adult use of tobacco, which can be read below.

Notes from the Field: Tobacco Product Use Among Adults — United States, 2017–2023

Weekly / March 6, 2025 / 74(7);118–121

René A. Arrazola, MPH1; Corinne G. Husten, MD2; Monica E. Cornelius, PhD1; Brian S. Armour, PhD1 (VIEW AUTHOR AFFILIATIONS)

Summary

What is already known about this topic?

Although adult cigarette smoking prevalence remains at its lowest level in 60 years, tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Change in use of other commercial tobacco products by U.S. adults affects overall tobacco use.

What is added by this report?

During 2017–2023, the approximate 6.8 million-person decrease in the number of adults who currently exclusively smoke cigarettes was offset by an approximate 7.2 million-person increase in the number who currently exclusively use e-cigarettes.

What are the implications for public health practice?

While current cigarette smoking has decreased to the lowest level in 60 years, current tobacco product use among adults has not changed since 2017. Comprehensive strategies, such as price increases, smoke-free policies, high-impact media campaigns, and cessation support, are critical to preventing and reducing tobacco product use, nicotine addiction, and their associated adverse health outcomes.

Related Materials

Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults has declined from 42.4% in 1965 to 11.6% in 2022 (1–3); however, tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death (1,4). Current e-cigarette use prevalence among youths increased substantially during 2017–2018 (4) but subsequently declined (5), and some of these youths are now likely included in surveys of adults. This report describes trends in the use of commercial tobacco products,* including combustible tobacco products, smokeless tobacco products, and e-cigarettes (e-cigarettes meet the federal definition of tobacco products) among adults over a 7-year period and how these trends have affected overall tobacco product use.

Investigation and Outcomes

CDC analyzed 2017–2023 tobacco product use data among adults aged ≥18 years from the National Health Interview Survey, an annual cross-sectional household survey of the noninstitutionalized U.S. civilian population. Sample sizes ranged from 21,153 (2020) to 31,997 (2019); response rates ranged from 47.0% (2023) to 59.1% (2019).† Current use§ of tobacco, overall and by type and exclusivity,¶ was assessed overall and by age group (18–24, 25–44, 45–64, and ≥65 years). Weighted prevalences and estimates of the number of persons who use each category of tobacco product (population estimates) and 95% CIs were calculated using SAS-callable SUDAAN software (version 11.0.4; RTI International).** The average annual percent change (AAPC), which measures relative change, in tobacco product use prevalences and population estimates was calculated using the Joinpoint Regression Program (version 5.2.0; National Cancer Institute)†† overall and by age group. Linear trends measured by AAPC were considered statistically significant if Benjamini-Hochberg–adjusted p-values were <0.05. This activity was reviewed by CDC, deemed not research, and was conducted consistent with applicable federal law and CDC policy.§§

From 2017 to 2023, significant declines in current exclusive cigarette smoking prevalence (10.8% to 7.9% [−5.2 AAPC]) and population estimates (26.6 million to 19.8 million [−5.0 AAPC]) were found, along with increases in exclusive e-cigarette use prevalence (1.2% to 4.1% [20.3 AAPC]) and population estimates (2.9 million to 10.1 million [20.4 AAPC]) (Table). Among adults aged 18–24 years, decreases in prevalences of exclusive cigarette and pipe smoking (6.5% to 1.2% [−21.3 AAPC] and 1.0% to 0.1% [−26.2 AAPC], respectively) and population estimates (1.9 million to 350,000 [−21.5 AAPC] and 290,000 to 40,000 [−25.0 AAPC], respectively) were identified. Within this age group, increases in exclusive e-cigarette use prevalence (2.7% to 10.3% [21.0 AAPC]) and population estimates (800,000 to 3.1 million [21.3 AAPC]) were found. Among adults aged 25–44 years, decreases in prevalence of exclusive cigarette smoking (12.0% to 7.6% [−8.2 AAPC]) and population estimates (10.1 million to 6.5 million [−8.2 AAPC]) were identified, along with increases in exclusive e-cigarette use prevalence (1.5% to 6.1% [24.5 AAPC]) and population estimates (1.3 million to 5.2 million [24.7 AAPC]). Among adults aged 45–64 years, an increase in exclusive e-cigarette use in population estimates (690,000 to 1.6 million [11.5 AAPC]) was identified. Among adults aged ≥65 years, decreases in prevalence of exclusive pipe smoking (0.4% to 0.1% [−17.8 AAPC]) and population estimates (190,000 to 80,000 [−11.4 AAPC]), along with an increase in population estimates of exclusive cigarette smoking (3.6 million to 4.2 million [2.7 AAPC]) were identified.¶¶

Preliminary Conclusions and Actions

The decrease in number of adults who currently exclusively smoke cigarettes by approximately 6.8 million persons was offset by the increase in the number who currently use e-cigarettes exclusively (approximately 7.2 million). This increase was primarily driven by increases among adults aged 18–24 and 25–44 years (approximately 2.3 million and 3.9 million, respectively), leading to no net change in overall current adult tobacco product use.

Continued surveillance and use of comprehensive tobacco control strategies, such as price increases, smokefree policies, high-impact media campaigns, and cessation support, are important for preventing and reducing tobacco product use, nicotine addiction, and their associated adverse health outcomes (1,4).

Corresponding author: René A. Arrazola, fdy9@cdc.gov.

1Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC; 2Katmai Government Services, Anchorage, Alaska.

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.


* Commercial tobacco refers to tobacco products that are made and sold by companies. This definition does not include traditional tobacco used by some Indigenous groups for religious or ceremonial purposes. In this report, tobacco refers to the following commercial tobacco products: cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, pipes, and smokeless tobacco. E-cigarettes meet the federal definition of tobacco products. https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/e-cigarettes-vapes-and-other-electronic-nicotine-delivery-systems-ends

† https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/documentation/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/data-questionnaires-documentation.htm

§ Current use is defined as reported use of cigarettes (ever smoked 100 or more cigarettes during one’s lifetime); cigar (ever smoked a regular cigar, cigarillo, or little filtered cigar); pipe (regular pipe, water pipe, or hookah filled with tobacco); e-cigarette or other electronic vaping product; smokeless tobacco (chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, or dissolvable tobacco), and using a tobacco product (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, or smokeless tobacco, alone or in any combination) “every day” or “some days” at the time of the survey.

¶ Exclusive use is defined as current use of any listed tobacco product alone (without using any other tobacco product); combination use is defined as 1) current use of two or more tobacco products that includes both cigarettes and e-cigarettes, with or without use of any other tobacco product or 2) current use of two or more tobacco products that does not include a combination of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

** Data were weighted to account for complex survey design and to adjust for nonresponse. https://support.sas.com/resources/papers/proceedings19/3659-2019.pdf

†† https://surveillance.cancer.gov/joinpoint/

§§ 45 C.F.R. part 46.102(l)(2), 21 C.F.R. part 56; 42 U.S.C. Sect. 241(d); 5 U.S.C. Sect. 552a; 44 U.S.C. Sect. 3501 et seq.

¶¶ Caution is warranted when comparing changes during 2019–2023 with earlier years of National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data because of changes in weighting and design methodology (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/EReval202009-508.pdf). NHIS quarterly estimates during 2019–2023 indicate decreases in current cigarette smoking and increases in current e-cigarette use, which is different from what the forecasting models predicted. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/NHISDataQueryTool/ER_Quarterly/index_quarterly.html

References

  1. US Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking: 50 years of progress: a report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK179276/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK179276.pdf
  2. CDC. Tobacco product use among adults—United States, 2022. Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, CDC; 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/media/pdfs/2024/09/cdc-osh-ncis-data-report-508.pdf
  3. Meza R, Cao P, Jeon J, Warner KE, Levy DT. Trends in US adult smoking prevalence, 2011 to 2022. JAMA Health Forum 2023;4:e234213. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.4213 PMID:38038988
  4. US Department of Health and Human Services. Smoking cessation: a report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services; 2020. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2020-cessation-sgr-full-report.pdf
  5. Jamal A, Park-Lee E, Birdsey J, et al. Tobacco product use among middle and high school students—National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2024. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:917–24. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7341a2 PMID:39418216
TABLE. Trends in percentage and number of U.S. adults reporting types of current commercial tobacco* product use, by age and product use pattern — National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2017–2023Return to your place in the text
Age group/Current tobacco or nicotine-containing product usePrevalenceEstimated no.† of persons who use tobacco products
20172023AAPC (95% CI)20172023AAPC (95% CI)
% (95% CI)% (95% CI)No. (95% CI)No. (95% CI)
All age groups
Any tobacco product use§19.3
(18.6 to 20.0)		19.5
(18.9 to 20.2)		−0.3
(–2.3 to 1.9)		474.3
(452.3 to 496.3)		485.9
(465.0 to 506.9)		−0.1
(−2.8 to 2.5)
Exclusive cigarette smoking¶10.8
(10.3 to 11.3)		7.9
(7.5 to 8.4)		–5.2
(–7.2 to –3.2)**		265.9
(251.7 to 280.0)		197.9
(186.4 to 209.5)		–5.0
(−6.9 to −3.1)**
Exclusive cigar smoking††1.9
(1.7 to 2.1)		2.0
(1.8 to 2.2)		0.5
(–2.3 to 3.5)		46.7
(40.9 to 52.5)		49.7
(44.6 to 54.8)		0.6
(−2.7 to 4.1)
Exclusive pipe smoking§§0.4
(0.3 to 0.5)		0.3
(0.2 to 0.3)		–0.8
(–6.0 to 5.2)		9.7
(7.1 to 12.2)		6.8
(5.2 to 8.3)		–2.1
(−11.7 to 9.2)
Exclusive e-cigarette use¶¶1.2
(1.0 to 1.4)		4.1
(3.7 to 4.4)		20.3
(14.0 to 28.9)**		29.1
(24.3 to 34.0)		101.2
(92.5 to 110.0)		20.4
(14.1 to 28.7)**
Exclusive smokeless tobacco use***1.3
(1.2 to 1.5)		1.4
(1.2 to 1.5)		−1.3
(−5.9 to 3.6)		32.8
(28.5 to 37.0)		33.7
(29.6 to 37.8)		−1.5
(−5.5 to 2.6)
Two or more tobacco product use (cigarette and e-cigarette combinations)†††1.4
(1.2 to 1.6)		1.8
(1.6 to 2.0)		3.7
(−3.4 to 11.9)		34.1
(30.0 to 38.2)		45.1
(39.9 to 50.2)		3.9
(−3.7 to 12.7)
Two or more tobacco product use (other product combinations)§§§2.3
(2.0 to 2.5)		2.1
(1.9 to 2.3)		−1.8
(−4.4 to 1.0)		55.8
(49.4 to 62.2)		51.3
(45.8 to 56.7)		−1.8
(−5.8 to 2.4)
18–24 yrs
Any tobacco product use§18.3
(16.3 to 20.4)		16.8
(14.9 to 18.9)		−0.2
(−3.7 to 3.6)		53.6
(46.7 to 60.5)		50.1
(43.5 to 56.8)		−0.2
(−3.5 to 3.2)
Exclusive cigarette smoking¶6.5
(5.3 to 7.9)		1.2
(0.7 to 1.9)		–21.3
(−26.2 to −16.1)**		19.0
(15.1 to 22.9)		3.5
(1.9 to 5.1)		−21.5
(−25.9 to −16.8)**
Exclusive cigar smoking††1.4
(1.0 to 2.1)		1.0
(0.6 to 1.7)		−6.5
(−15.8 to 3.0)		4.2
(2.5 to 5.9)		2.9
(1.3 to 4.6)		−6.9
(−13.0 to −0.9)
Exclusive pipe smoking§§1.0
(0.6 to 1.6)		0.1
(0.0 to 0.4)		−26.2
(−41.5 to −14.9)**		2.9
(1.5 to 4.3)		0.4
(0.0 to 0.9)		−25.0
(−39.9 to −12.5)**
Exclusive e-cigarette use¶¶2.7
(1.9 to 4.0)		10.3
(8.7 to 12.0)		21.0
(8.1 to 42.1)**		8.0
(4.9 to 11.1)		30.6
(25.4 to 35.8)		21.3
(9.7 to 39.2)**
Exclusive smokeless tobacco use***1.4
(0.9 to 2.2)		0.3
(0.1 to 0.8)		−18.7
(−37.2 to −2.3)		4.2
(2.3 to 6.0)		0.9
(0.0 to 1.8)		−19.8
(−39.3 to −1.9)
Two or more tobacco product use (cigarette and e-cigarette combinations)†††1.7
(1.2 to 2.3)		1.8
(1.3 to 2.5)		2.0
(−5.6 to 10.6)		4.9
(3.2 to 6.5)		5.3
(3.4 to 7.1)		2.2
(−5.2 to 10.6)
Two or more tobacco product use (other product combinations)§§§3.5
(2.7 to 4.5)		2.1
(1.5 to 3.0)		−5.8
(−13.2 to 1.6)		10.3
(7.6 to 12.9)		6.3
(4.0 to 8.5)		−5.9
(−13.3 to 1.6)
25–44 yrs
Any tobacco product use§22.5
(21.4 to 23.7)		24.4
(23.2 to 25.6)		0.3
(−2.3 to 3.0)		189.1
(177.2 to 177.2)		206.4
(194.6 to 218.2)		0.4
(−2.2 to 3.1)
Exclusive cigarette smoking¶12.0
(11.2 to 12.9)		7.6
(7.0 to 8.3)		−8.2
(−11.5 to −4.7)**		101.0
(93.1 to 108.9)		64.5
(58.4 to 70.7)		−8.2
(−11.4 to −4.9)**
Exclusive cigar smoking††2.4
(2.1 to 2.9)		2.6
(2.2 to 3.0)		1.4
(−2.2 to 5.1)		20.5
(16.8 to 24.2)		21.6
(18.0 to 25.1)		0.8
(−2.6 to 4.3)
Exclusive pipe smoking§§0.4
(0.2 to 0.6)		0.6
(0.4 to 0.7)		8.8
(−1.8 to 20.4)		3.1
(1.6 to 4.7)		4.6
(3.3 to 5.9)		8.1
(−2.5 to 19.8)
Exclusive e-cigarette use¶¶1.5
(1.2 to 1.9)		6.1
(5.5 to 6.8)		24.5
(19.5 to 31.2)**		12.5
(9.7 to 15.2)		51.6
(46.1 to 57.2)		24.7
(19.4 to 32.2)**
Exclusive smokeless tobacco use***1.4
(1.2 to 1.7)		1.5
(1.3 to 1.8)		−1.5
(−9.6 to 7.9)		11.9
(9.6 to 14.2)		12.8
(10.5 to 15.1)		−1.5
(−8.1 to 5.8)
Two or more tobacco product use (cigarette and e-cigarette combinations)†††1.9
(1.5 to 2.2)		3.0
(2.6 to 3.6)		6.4
(−2.4 to 16.3)		15.5
(12.7 to 18.3)		25.7
(21.5 to 29.9)		7.0
(−2.6 to 18.0)
Two or more tobacco product use (other product combinations)§§§2.9
(2.4 to 3.4)		3.0
(2.6 to 3.5)		−0.9
(−8.7 to 8.3)		24.3
(20.0 to 28.6)		25.2
(21.5 to 29.0)		−0.9
(−9.0 to 8.5)
45–64 yrs
Any tobacco product use§21.3
(20.1 to 22.5)		21.0
(19.9 to 22.1)		−0.6
(−2.1 to 1.0)		177.3
(166.0 to 188.6)		164.0
(153.8 to 174.1)		−1.6
(–3.2 to 0.0)
Exclusive cigarette smoking¶13.2
(12.3 to 14.2)		11.2
(10.4 to 12.1)		−2.6
(−4.8 to −0.4)		110.0
(101.6 to 118.4)		87.7
(80.5 to 95.0)		−3.5
(−7.2 to 0.5)
Exclusive cigar smoking††2.0
(1.7 to 2.4)		2.1
(1.8 to 2.5)		0.6
(−3.7 to 5.4)		16.6
(13.3 to 19.8)		16.5
(13.7 to 19.2)		−0.1
(−4.3 to 4.5)
Exclusive pipe smoking§§0.2
(0.1 to 0.3)		0.1
(0.1 to 0.2)		2.6
(−17.6 to 29.1)		1.6
(0.7 to 2.5)		0.9
(0.3 to 1.4)		−1.4
(−16.3 to 16.9)
Exclusive e-cigarette use¶¶0.8
(0.6 to 1.1)		2.0
(1.7 to 2.4)		12.4
(2.8 to 23.0)		6.9
(5.1 to 8.6)		15.7
(13.0 to 18.4)		11.5
(4.3 to 20.8)**
Exclusive smokeless tobacco use***1.5
(1.3 to 1.9)		2.0
(1.7 to 2.4)		3.5
(−2.7 to 10.1)		12.7
(10.2 to 15.2)		15.5
(12.7 to 18.3)		2.0
(−3.3 to 7.5)
Two or more tobacco product use (cigarette and e-cigarette combinations)†††1.5
(1.2 to 1.8)		1.6
(1.3 to 1.9)		0.8
(−9.3 to 12.1)		12.1
(9.5 to 14.7)		12.4
(10.1 to 14.6)		−0.1
(−10.1 to 11.0)
Two or more tobacco product use (other product combinations)§§§2.1
(1.7 to 2.4)		1.9
(1.6 to 2.3)		−2.3
(−7.4 to 3.0)		17.1
(14.3 to 20.0)		15.1
(12.2 to 17.9)		−2.6
(−8.3 to 3.5)
≥65 yrs
Any tobacco product use§11.0
(10.1 to 11.9)		11.6
(10.9 to 12.4)		0.3
(−1.7 to 2.6)		54.1
(49.5 to 58.8)		65.3
(60.8 to 69.8)		2.4
(−0.1 to 5.3)
Exclusive cigarette smoking¶7.2
(6.5 to 8.1)		7.5
(6.9 to 8.1)		0.7
(−0.7 to 2.3)		35.7
(31.8 to 39.7)		42.0
(38.3 to 45.6)		2.7
(0.9 to 4.8)**
Exclusive cigar smoking††1.1
(0.8 to 1.4)		1.5
(1.3 to 1.8)		3.2
(−3.2 to 10.0)		5.3
(3.9 to 6.7)		8.6
(7.0 to 10.2)		6.0
(−0.1 to 12.6)
Exclusive pipe smoking§§0.4
(0.2 to 0.6)		0.1
(0.1 to 0.3)		−17.8
(−28.2 to −8.4)**		1.9
(1.0 to 2.7)		0.8
(0.3 to 1.2)		−11.4
(−19.1 to −3.3)**
Exclusive e-cigarette use¶¶0.3
(0.2 to 0.5)		0.6
(0.4 to 0.8)		8.0
(−1.4 to 20.2)		1.7
(1.0 to 2.4)		3.1
(2.2 to 4.1)		8.8
(0.4 to 19.1)
Exclusive smokeless tobacco use***0.8
(0.6 to 1.1)		0.8
(0.6 to 1.0)		−4.0
(−9.1 to 1.7)		3.8
(2.5 to 5.1)		4.4
(3.2 to 5.6)		−2.0
(−8.8 to 6.4)
Two or more tobacco product use (cigarette and e-cigarette combinations)†††0.3
(0.2 to 0.5)		0.3
(0.2 to 0.4)		2.5
(−14.8 to 25.4)		1.5
(0.8 to 2.1)		1.6
(0.9 to 2.3)		2.4
(−10.0 to 16.7)
Two or more tobacco product use (other product combinations)§§§0.8
(0.6 to 1.1)		0.8
(0.6 to 1.1)		−2.9
(−8.2 to 3.0)		4.0
(2.7 to 5.2)		4.5
(3.4 to 5.7)		–0.1
(−4.5 to 4.7)

Abbreviation: AAPC = average annual percent change.
* Commercial tobacco refers to tobacco products that are made and sold by companies. This definition does not include traditional tobacco used by some Indigenous groups for religious or ceremonial purposes. In this report, tobacco refers to the following commercial tobacco products: cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, pipes, and smokeless tobacco.
† Multiplied by 100,000 and rounded down to the nearest 10,000.
§ Current use of cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, or smokeless tobacco alone or in any combination.
¶ Ever smoked 100 or more cigarettes during one’s lifetime and smoking every day or some days at the time of the survey without use of any other tobacco product.
** Significant Benjamini-Hochberg adjusted p-values with a false discovery rate set at 0.05 for average AAPC different from zero from Joinpoint regression for linear trend.
†† Ever smoked a regular cigar, cigarillo, or little filtered cigar during one’s lifetime and reported smoking every day or some days at the time of the survey without use of any other tobacco product.
§§ Ever smoked a pipe filled with tobacco (either a regular pipe, water pipe, or hookah) during one’s lifetime and reported smoking every day or some days at the time of survey without use of any other tobacco product.
¶¶ Ever use of an e-cigarette or other electronic vaping product during one’s lifetime and reported using such a product every day or some days at the time of the survey without use of any other tobacco product.
*** Ever use of a smokeless tobacco product (chewing tobacco, snuff, dip, snus, or dissolvable tobacco) during one’s lifetime and reported using every day or some days at the time of the survey without use of any other tobacco product.
††† Current use of e-cigarettes and current smoking of cigarettes with or without use of any other tobacco product.
§§§ Current use of any other combination of tobacco products without concurrent use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

USDOL Issues Comprehensive Employer Guidance on Long COVID

The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has issued a comprehensive set of resources that can be accessed below for employers on dealing with Long COVID.

Supporting Employees with Long COVID: A Guide for Employers

The “Supporting Employees with Long COVID” guide from the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) and Job Accommodation Network (JAN) addresses the basics of Long COVID, including its intersection with mental health, and common workplace supports for different symptoms.  It also explores employers’ responsibilities to provide reasonable accommodations and answers frequently asked questions about Long COVID and employment, including inquiries related to telework and leave.

Download the guide

Accommodation and Compliance: Long COVID

The Long COVID Accommodation and Compliance webpage from the USDOL-funded Job Accommodation Network (JAN) helps employers and employees understand strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID.  Topics include Long COVID in the context of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specific accommodation ideas based on limitations or work-related functions, common situations and solutions, and questions to consider when identifying effective accommodations for employees with Long COVID.  Find this and other Long COVID resources from JAN, below:

Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities: Recommendations for Employers

The research-to-practice brief “Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities” synthesizes an extensive review of documents, literature and data sources, conducted by the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) on the impact of Long COVID on employment, with a focus on demographic differences.  It also outlines recommended actions organizations can take to create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture for people with Long COVID, especially those with disabilities who belong to other historically underserved groups.

Read the brief

Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace

The policy brief “Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace” explores Long COVID’s impact on the workforce and provides examples of policy actions different states are taking to help affected people remain at work or return when ready.  It was developed by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as part of its involvement in USDOL’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative.

Download the policy brief

Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID

The report “Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID” summarizes key themes and takeaways from an ePolicyWorks national online dialogue through which members of the public were invited to share their experiences and insights regarding workplace challenges posed by Long COVID.  The dialogue took place during summer 2022 and was hosted by USDOL and its agencies in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General.

Download the report

Working with Long COVID

The USDOL-published “Working with Long COVID” fact sheet shares strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID, including accommodations for common symptoms and resources for further guidance and assistance with specific situations.

Download the fact sheet

COVID-19: Long-Term Symptoms

This USDOL motion graphic informs workers with Long COVID that they may be entitled to temporary or long-term supports to help them stay on the job or return to work when ready, and shares where they can find related assistance.

Watch the motion graphic

A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure

In the podcast “A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure,” Pam Bingham, senior program manager for Intuit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tech team, shares her personal experience of navigating Long COVID symptoms at work.  The segment was produced by the USDOL-funded Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) as part of its ongoing “Future of Work” podcast series.

Listen to the podcast

HHS OIG Issues Annual Report on State MFCUs

Per the notice below, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its annual report on the performance of state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs).

Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report (OEI-09-24-00200) 

Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse or neglect. OIG is the Federal agency that oversees and annually approves federal funding for MFCUs through a recertification process. This new report analyzed the statistical data on annual case outcomes—such as convictions, civil settlements and judgments, and recoveries—that the 53 MFCUs submitted for Fiscal Year 2023.  New York data is as follows:

Outcomes

  • Investigations1 - 556
  • Indicted/Charged - 9
  • Convictions - 8
  • Civil Settlements/Judgments - 28
  • Recoveries2 - $73,204,518

Resources

  • MFCU Expenditures3 - $55,964,293
  • Staff on Board4 - 257

1Investigations are defined as the total number of open investigations at the end of the fiscal year.

2Recoveries are defined as the amount of money that defendants are required to pay as a result of a settlement, judgment, or prefiling settlement in criminal and civil cases and may not reflect actual collections.  Recoveries may involve cases that include participation by other Federal and State agencies.

3MFCU and Medicaid Expenditures include both State and Federal expenditures.

4Staff on Board is defined as the total number of staff employed by the Unit at the end of the fiscal year.

Read the Full Report

View the Statistical Chart

Engage with the Interactive Map

GAO Issues Report on Medicaid Managed Care Service Denials and Appeal Outcomes

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes.  GAO found that federal oversight is limited because it doesn't require states to report on Medicaid managed care service denials or appeal outcomes and there has not been much progress on plans to analyze and make the data publicly available.  To read the GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the first link below.  To read GAO highlights of the report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the second link below.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627.pdf  (GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)
https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627_high.pdf  (GAO highlights on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)

CMS Issues Latest Medicare Regulatory Activities Update

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its latest update on its regulatory activities in the Medicare program.  While dentistry is only minimally connected to the Medicare program, Medicare drives the majority of health care policies and insurance reimbursement policies throughout the country.  Therefore, it always pays to keep a close eye on what CMS is doing in Medicare.  To read the latest CMS update on its regulatory activities in Medicare, use the link below.
https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-14-mlnc