EX Program by Truth Initiative Delivers Strong ROI in Healthcare Savings in First Year of Engagement with Digital Tobacco Cessation Program

"Tobacco use remains one of the most preventable drivers of healthcare costs and productivity losses," said Dr. Amanda Graham, Chief Health Officer at Truth Initiative. "Organizations cannot afford to overlook the impact of smoking on their bottom line. Helping people to quit smoking is not only good for promoting individual health but it's also an essential investment in any organization's financial wellbeing."

Key Findings:

• EX Program participants incurred $950 less in healthcare costs annually than a control group of matched non-enrollees within the first year of program enrollment.
• When changes in productivity among EX Program enrollees were included in the analysis, it yielded an estimated $960 of additional savings per participant.
• In total, B Braun Medical, Inc. saved an estimated $1,929 per enrolled participant, representing roughly $400,000 of overall savings in the first year of partnering with EX Program.

"This ROI analysis involved a relatively large dataset that allowed us to examine both the baseline healthcare costs of eligible B. Braun Medical employees as well as their costs during the year after EX Program enrollment," said Dr. David Rein, Senior Fellow and Director of NORC's Public Health Analytics Program. "Having this real-world data as well as robust estimates of cost savings from changes in productivity provides a comprehensive view of how a tobacco cessation program can drive significant cost savings."

Study Summary
The study first analyzed de-identified healthcare claims data from over 6,000 employees of B. Braun Medical, Inc., an EX Program manufacturing client headquartered in Bethlehem, PA. Healthcare costs of eligible B. Braun Medical employees who enrolled in EX Program were compared to the costs of a control group of non-enrollees. The study used a rigorous propensity score matching method to create a control group that was matched to EX Program participants on demographic and employment characteristics and medical history.

The analysis also included cost estimates associated with changes in productivity from published sources. Costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism were included in the model, and sensitivity analyses were conducted to determine the robustness of each parameter.

The full report can be found here.

Developed with Mayo Clinic over 15 years ago, EX Program is the leading enterprise-level, digital health program for employers, health plans, and health systems to end tobacco and nicotine addiction. EX Program combines Mayo Clinic's proven treatment model with Truth Initiative's scientific leadership in digital solutions to deliver an engaging, multimodal experience to support tobacco users of all ages. At the center of a large federally funded research portfolio for nearly two decades, EX Program is proven effective for smoking cessation and includes the only solution to help young people quit vaping with published evidence of effectiveness from randomized clinical trials. Today, more than 12 million American adults have access to EX Program through strategic partnerships with leading health plans and employers across a range of industries.

For more information on EX Program, please visit exprogram.com/enterprise.

About Truth Initiative

Truth Initiative^® is a national nonprofit public health organization committed to a future free from lifelong addiction, fostering healthier lives and a more resilient nation. Our mission is to prevent youth and young adult nicotine addiction and empower quitting for all. Through our evidence-based, market-leading cessation EX^® Program and national public education and prevention campaigns, we are leading the fight against youth and young adult tobacco use, which threatens to put a new generation at risk of lifetime nicotine addiction. Our rigorous scientific research and policy studies, community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco, and innovation in tobacco dependence treatment continue to contribute to ending one of the most critical public health battles of our time. Based in Washington, D.C., our organization was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories, and the tobacco industry. To learn more, visit truthinitiative.org.

About EX Program

EX^® Program is a proven-effective tobacco cessation program, developed by Truth Initiative^® with Mayo Clinic, that brings together the best evidence-based quitting approaches, interactive digital quitting programs, and the most established online quit community. EX Program has helped millions of youth and adults develop the skills and confidence to successfully quit. Truth Initiative research has shown that EX Program text messages can increase a user's odds of quitting by up to 40%. To learn more, visit exprogram.com.

About EX Program Enterprise

Developed by Truth Initiative^® with Mayo Clinic, EX^® Program Enterprise is the best strategic partner for employers, health plans, and public health organizations to end smoking, vaping, and nicotine use. Sponsored users receive multimodal quitting support, available in both English and Spanish. Clients get real-time dashboards to track performance, year-round promotions, and expert Client Success guidance. To learn more about available options visit exprogram.com/enterprise.

SOURCE Truth Initiative