New incentives added to California's Medicaid program helped to reduce the number of smokers, according to researchers. : Nov. 16 (UPI) -- New incentives added to California's Medicaid program helped to reduce the number of smokers, according to researchers. Research published in the December edition of the American Journal of Preventative Medicine showed that incentives provided by Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program, led to more people trying to quit smoking, stopping for a short period of time or abstaining for long periods of time.