Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Quit Now Montana is completely free and confidential for people who live in Montana. You do not have to pay anything to receive support to quit tobacco/nicotine products, your personal information is kept private, and you do not need health insurance to use the program. Quit Now Montana is offered by the Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program within the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, in partnership with National Jewish Health. Montanans are eligible whether or not they have health insurance.

You may call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669), go to the website and start chatting with a coach at QuitNowMontana.com, or be referred via fax or web by a community partner, doctor, nurse, or other health care professional. Quit Now Montana is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Quit Now Montana will contact you within 24 hours of receiving a referral. If you do not hear from them in a timely manner, you are always welcome to call 1-800-QUIT- NOW for support. They will attempt to call you 5 times. If you do not answer or return their calls, they will mark you as unreachable and stop trying to contact you. If you do not answer the phone, Quit Now Montana will only leave a message if you have given them permission to do so.

The caller ID number depends on your cell phone carrier. If it allows the number, it will come through as 1-800-784-8669. If your carrier does not allow the number, it will come in as “No Caller ID” or “Unknown Caller.”

When you enroll, during your first call, you will be asked some simple questions about your tobacco/nicotine use, where you live, any health problems you may have, and how you heard about the program. This will take about 15 minutes. After answering the intake questions, you can start your first coaching session right away or you can schedule a session for a later date. We may also ask whether you have health insurance as part of our data collection. This information is kept confidential, is not shared, and is not used for billing. You do not need insurance to participate, and we will not bill or contact your insurance provider.

Please remember, if any question makes you uncomfortable, you are always free to skip it and still receive all our free services and support.

When you enroll in Quit Now Montana, you gain access to helpful programs that support quitting tobacco/nicotine products. You can choose what works best for you and how you prefer to communicate.

Here is what you can get:

• Coaching by phone and additional support via email, text, or instant message. Our standard program includes up to five coaching calls, and the potential for additional support where appropriate. Our coaches are available to you seven days a week.
• Free nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, or lozenges). You may also get free cessation medications (varenicline or bupropion) with a prescription from your provider. These benefits can change.
• A personalized quit plan and educational materials (online or on paper) to help you map out your road to quitting tobacco/nicotine.
• An online community where you can connect with others who are also working hard to become tobacco/nicotine free.

Coaching sessions can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on how much you want to talk about and how much support you would like. The role of the coaches is to help you identify what makes you want to use tobacco/nicotine (the triggers), like certain feelings, places, or habits. They will give you simple tips and tricks to help you quit and stay tobacco/nicotine free.

You will work with a quit coach over the phone, and you can choose to receive additional support via email, text, or instant message— whatever feels easier and comfortable for you. As part of the program, a coach will contact you up to 5 times to see how you are doing and what help you need. You also can reach out to your coach as often as you need.

To help you succeed, Quit Now Montana offers a full range of medications along with tobacco/nicotine cessation counseling. These medications include nicotine patches, gum, or lozenges, as well as prescription cessation medications (varenicline or bupropion). However, you can only get prescription cessation medications after you get a valid prescription from your doctor. You may receive eight (8) weeks of patches, gum or lozenges completely free of charge, or you can get three (3) months of varenicline or bupropion at no cost. These benefits are subject to change.

After you complete the intake questions, you are eligible for two (2) weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy (patches, gum, or lozenges). To access additional weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy, you need to complete your first coaching session. To get prescription cessation medication (varenicline or bupropion), you must complete a coaching session first get a prescription from your doctor. Ridgeway Pharmacy will send you cessation medications once it receives your prescription.

All medications will be mailed directly to the physical address you provide Quit Now Montana. The nicotine replacement therapy is sent directly from a distributor out of Arrowhead, Michigan, and the prescription cessation medications will be sent from the Ridgeway Mail Order Pharmacy in Victor, MT after they receive your prescription.

Yes! Quit Now Montana works with any kind of nicotine addiction, including smokeless tobacco, nicotine pouches, and electronic cigarettes.

Quit Now Montana has individualized programs made to fit your needs and increase the chance of quitting successfully. Quit Now Montana programs include the American Indian Commercial Tobacco Quit Line, Pregnancy Post-Partum Program, American Indian Pregnancy Post-Partum Program, My Life, My Quit for youth, and a special program for individuals with behavioral health conditions.

Quit Now Montana works with individuals from all communities. More than 180 participants are enrolled per day from all over the United States. To learn more about what each program offers, go to QuitNowMontana.com.

Quit Now Montana coaches are well trained and ready to help you. Coaches must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social work, psychology, or other health related areas or equivalent clinical experience. Coaches complete the Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Program accredited by the Council on Tobacco Treatment Training Programs (CTTTP). This is an extensive training program with standards for core competencies, training, and credentialing of tobacco treatment providers. Quit Now Montana coaches are among the most experienced in the country helping people over the phone and online. Every day, they support a large volume of participants who are working hard to quit.

Yes. Incentives are available through both the Pregnancy Post-Partum Program and the American Indian Pregnancy Post-Partum Program. The Pregnancy Post-Partum Program offers a total of 9 calls, $20 for each completed coaching call while pregnant and $30 for each completed coaching call post-partum for $220 total. The American Indian Pregnancy Post-Partum Program offers 14 calls, $20 for each completed coaching call while pregnant and $30 for each completed coaching call post-partum for $320 total.

Yes. Quit Now Montana works hard to help any Montanan, regardless of disability status.

Quit Now Montana has coaches fluent in English, Spanish, and Arabic on site, as well as a translation service for over 200 additional languages.

Yes. If you do not live in Montana, you can call 1-800-QUIT-NOW, and you will be directed to the services for your specific state. If you live in Montana and have an out-of-state cellphone, please call 1-866-485-7848 to directly reach Quit Now Montana.