Eagan-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota found smoking was responsible for $3.19 billion in excess medical costs in 2014.
The self-commissioned report — "Health Care Costs and Smoking in Minnesota" — focused on the health and economic affects of treating preventable diseases and conditions related to smoking.
Here are four things to know.
1. The report found smoking was associated with 6,312 deaths in Minnesota in 2014.
2. The economic burden taxpayers, employers and governments shouldered from smoking equated to $593 per person.
3. In 2014, smoking-attributable healthcare costs in Minnesota included expenses associated with nursing homes ($472 million), ambulatory care ($410 million), hospital care ($1.1 billion), prescription drugs ($243 million) and other services ($924 million).
4. "Over the years we've seen great progress throughout our state, as awareness of the harms of commercial tobacco has increased, and policies have been established that protect the health of many Minnesotans," said Janelle Waldock, vice president of community health and health equity at BCBS of Minnesota. "However, it is clear that deep inequities persist when it comes to commercial tobacco use. As a result, many communities are at a greater risk for premature death and disease, both through the direct impacts of smoking, as well as exposure to secondhand smoke."