For first time, public insurance covers app to quit smoking

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A smartphone app that has proved effective in helping smokers kick the habit provides the added bonus of being covered by public health insurance, company officials said.

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The software, approved by the Central Social Insurance Medical Council on Nov. 11, is the brainchild of Tokyo-based start-up CureApp Inc.

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In early December, it became the first such anti-smoking app covered by public health insurance.

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The smartphone app works with a device to measure carbon monoxide levels in breath.

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Patients not only learn about nicotine addiction but also receive messages and videos to help them remain smoke-free, depending on the progress of their treatment, according to CureApp.

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The app system plays a supplementary role to standard anti-smoking therapies. Although anyone can download the app, doctors will prescribe login codes only when they decide use of the software is essential.

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With the health insurance covering 70 percent of the costs, patients will pay 7,620 yen ($73.08) for use of the app and breath analyzing device. The price does not include expenses for standard anti-smoking treatments.

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According to a document submitted to the council, a clinical trial on 572 individuals showed that the ratio of people who could stop smoking for six months was 13 percentage points higher among those who used the app.

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