Medicare may finally be getting serious about tackling one of the deadliest killers of its beneficiaries. Tobacco-related diseases account for 10 percent of Medicare's budget, according to the latest data. So now the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposes to expand current coverage of smoking cessation counseling to include two cessation attempts per year. Each attempt can include up to four intermediate or intensive sessions, depending on your strategy. See more details at www.cms.hhs.gov/mcd/viewtrackingsheet.asp?id=130.