Human Resources Mission, Vision, and Strategic Goals For You

Tobacco Cessation

Tobacco Cessation Programs

For tobacco cessation options specific to regional campuses, please visit their respective web sites.

Purdue University Northwest

Purdue Fort Wayne

West Lafayette's Center for Healthy Living: Purdue University only - All Campuses

This program is available to faculty and non-graduate staff as well as their covered dependents. One-to-One counseling for tobacco cessation helps by providing support both before and after you quit. Through a series of up to four sessions, telephonic and/or in person, you can receive (a) guidance to help you handle challenges while quitting and (b) recommendations for selection and proper use of medications to help make you more comfortable while you are quitting.

Please contact the Center for Healthy Living at 765-494-0111 to schedule your first session with a nurse health coach or pharmacist at least one week before your planned quit date.

You will be given a certificate of completion following the end of the program. To receive credit for this approved tobacco cessation program you must submit the letter to Human Resources.

Indiana Tobacco Quitline: All campuses

The Indiana Tobacco Quitline is provided by the state Department of Health to all residents of Indiana and is available seven days a week.

Note: If you call from a number outside of Indiana, you will be connected to a Quitline for that location. This program can only be completed once per year. If you have already completed this program, please select another option.

To receive credit for this approved tobacco cessation program you must do the following:

  • Register: Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to start the program. A Quitline intake specialist will get your demographic information and register you in the program. You will then be transferred to a quit coach for your initial coaching call or you will be scheduled for an outbound call from the quit coach at a later date.

  • Take calls: Quit coach calls include assessment of status, review of stage of readiness to change, action items appropriate to status, discussion of triggers and barriers, setting a quit date and information/resources. During a coaching call, the quit coach schedules the timeframe for your next call. Should you miss a scheduled call, you can call in yourself to reach a quit coach.

    You will receive four calls with your quit coach. Generally, most people complete their four calls between six and 12 weeks. You may take longer than 12 weeks if needed, but you must not complete the four quit coach calls in shorter than six weeks.

  • Submit your certificate of completion: During your fourth call with your quit coach, you must request a “certificate of completion.” Once you receive that letter in the mail, you will submit it to Human Resources as evidence of completion.

Where to Submit Certificate of Completion

HR Help
Secure web system - Log in with your Purdue University career account and password.

Other Options

Community alternative
If you take part in a tobacco cessation program through other campus resources, hospitals or community organizations, you may qualify for waiver of the tobacco-user additional premium, depending on the specifics of the offering.

Before taking part, contact the Human Resources Service Center at 765-494-2222 with the details of the program and find out if completion of the program will qualify you for waiver of the additional premium. If the program qualifies, the Human Resources Service Center will provide you with a Community Alternative form that you must have signed by the community program's representative when you have finished the program.

Medical alternative
If you are unable to participate in a traditional program due to a medical condition, contact the Human Resources Service Center at 765-494-2222 to develop an alternative way to qualify for waiver of the tobacco-user additional premium.

Health Plan Coverage

Purdue University Faculty and Non-graduate Staff
For all Purdue University health plans, tobacco cessation products are covered with no copay as long as you have a prescription for them (including the over-the-counter items). These do not require prior authorization. You're allowed up to a 168-day supply (24 weeks) of each product in one year of treatment.

Tobacco Cessation Products

  • Varenicline tab 0.5 mg and 1 mg
  • Varenicline tab 0.5 mg x 11 tabs and 1 mg x 42 pack
  • Generic nicotine replacement
  • Nicotine gum
  • Nicotine lozenge
  • Nicotine transdermal patch
  • Brand-name Nicotrol (nicotine inhalation system)
  • Brand-name Nicotrol NS (nicotine nasal spray)
  • Generic bupropion (generic of brand-name, Zyban) ― Zyban is not covered
  • Additional Tobacco cessation products (OTC and Rx)
  • Bupropion HCl tab SR 12 hr 150 mg
  • Nicotine polacrilex gum 2 mg and 4 mg
  • Nicotine polacrilex lozenge 2 mg and 4 mg
  • Nicotine TD patch 24 hr 21 mg, 14 mg and 7 mg/24 hr
  • Nicotrol inhaler system 10 mg
  • Nicotrol NS nasal spray 10 mg/mL

To get these products, take a physician's prescription to your retail pharmacy.

Office visits only related to tobacco cessation are covered at 100 percent in-network for all Purdue medical plans. Make sure to tell your health care provider that the visit is to discuss tobacco cessation and to code it accordingly.

For questions about benefits, call 765-494-2222 or visit the Benefits website.

Graduate Staff
Purdue student medical plans for West Lafayette graduate staff cover all nicotine replacement therapies and tobacco cessation medications (brand name and generic).

Coverage information for student insurance plans is found on the Academic HealthPlans (AHP) website. Questions should be directed to Anthem at 844-412-0752.

Tobacco-User Additional Premium

There will be an additional annual premium for those who have used tobacco in the last 12 months. We do this as research shows that tobacco users are at a higher risk for health complications and chronic conditions. The additional premium helps offset their higher healthcare costs. For more information, visit the Tobacco-User Additional Premium: Questions and Answers page.

"Tobacco" includes cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, pipe tobacco, or any other tobacco product. This also includes electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, vape pens, and other vaping devices) as they contain nicotine, which is extracted from tobacco.

Benefit Premiums Impacted by Tobacco Use

Faculty and Staff (non-graduate)

All staff (including graduate)

The table below reflects the additional premium which will be combined with the Purdue University medical plan premium for faculty and non-graduate staff (click the other benefits above to see the impact of tobacco use on their premiums). The total premium will be divided by your number of Purdue pays in a year and deducted from your paycheck incrementally. If you are paid on an academic year (AY) schedule, your deductions will be taken only from your September through April pays. If you enroll in any of the benefits above midyear, paycheck deductions will be prorated over your remaining pays in the year.

Annual Tobacco-User Additional Premium (Purdue University Faculty, Non-graduate staff (non-graduate) Medical Plan)

Coverage Tier Tobacco User Additional Premium
Employee-Only Employee $1,000
Employee + Spouse or Employee + Family Employee or spouse $1,000
Employee + Spouse or Employee + Family Employee and spouse $2,000
Opt Out N/A N/A

How to Waive the Tobacco-User Additional Premium

Complete an approved tobacco cessation program

  • You may begin a tobacco cessation program at any time, but it must conclude in the plan year for which you wish to have the additional tobacco premiums waived. Submit your certificate of completion to HR by March 31, 2024 to retroactively reduce your impacted premiums for that entire plan year (a refund will apply, if applicable). Certificates received after March 31 will reduce your medical premiums going forward for the rest of that plan year only. See “Where to Submit Certificate of Completion” above.

    Note: Premiums will be reduced for the medical plan only. Lower premiums for Voluntary Term Life, Critical Illness insurance are only available to those who have been tobacco-free for at least 12 months.

Become tobacco-free for 12 months

  • If you do not want to complete a tobacco cessation program (e.g., you have already quit), you may submit Tobacco User Certification Form at the point where you have not used tobacco in the last 12 months. Submit the form by March 31, 2024 to retroactively reduce your impacted premiums for that entire plan year (a refund will apply, if applicable). Certificates received after March 31 will reduce your premiums going forward only. Note: You do not have to enter a recipient to email at the bottom of the form; it will be automatically be routed to Human Resources.