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

EX^® Program by Truth Initiative, the leading enterprise digital tobacco cessation program, announced results today from a new cost effectiveness study. An analysis of medical claims data showed that EX Program yielded a 4.75x return on investment (ROI) within the first year of program enrollment. Adding costs associated with absenteeism and presenteeism into the analysis roughly doubled the ROI. The study was conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, a trusted partner in evaluating public health interventions and their impact on society since its founding in 1941.

“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.

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.